Cristiano Ronaldo may be heading towards the end of his career but the Al-Nassr superstar is "still a machine," according to Fabio Capello.
Ronaldo top scorer in 2023Will turn 39 next monthCapello hails forward's formWHAT HAPPENED?
Ronaldo finished 2023 as the world's top scorer, beating Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe to top spot, after netting 54 times for club and country. The Portugal international is also leading the race to win the Saudi Pro League Golden Boot after netting 20 times for Al-Nassr. Former Real Madrid and Juventus boss Fabio Capello says he continues to be impressed by the Portugal international and his goalscoring ability.
AdvertisementGettyWHAT FABIO CAPELLO SAID
Ronaldo, who joined Real Madrid two years after Capello's departure from Santiago Bernabeu in 2007, suffered a significant dip in form during his final season at Manchester United, but has been able to get back to his best since joining Al-Nassr on a free transfer. Capello told of his continued brilliance in the final third: "You know that Ronaldo is a machine.His fuel is goals.That is his merit, that he continues even as the years go by."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Ronaldo will turn 39 in February but has shown few signs of slowing down and has said he hopes he can play on in his forties. The veteran striker has, however, been overlooked for individual awards since his move to the Middle East and has had to watch rival Lionel Messi scoop another Ballon d'Or and be named FIFA's The Best male player. The victories don't appear to have gone down too well with Ronaldo, as the forward has claimed the awards are "losing credibility" after he missed out despite scoring 54 goals.
GettyWHAT NEXT FOR RONALDO?
Ronaldo is currently nursing a muscle injury, which has contributed to Al-Nassr cancelling a tour of China during a mid-season break and games against Shanghai Shenhua and Zheijang. It's not clear yet when Ronaldo will return but he could potentially also sit out a planned friendly against Inter Miami and Lionel Messi on February 1.