FIFA’s controversial ruling had counted out Al Nassr’s matches in the Arab Club Champions Cup, an unofficial tournament. Despite that, the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS) announced Cristiano Ronaldo as the Men’s World Best Goalscorer for 2023! At the heart of the monumental win is Ronaldo’s 54 goals with Al Nassr and Portugal’s national team.

FIFA’s rule had disregarded six of Ronaldo’s 54 goals during the Arab Club Champions Cup. Therefore, fans doubted if ‘CR7’ was the top scorer for 2023. But the FIFA ruling and the doubts are a story of the past.

Cristiano Ronaldo was already leading the race for the Golden Boot with 53 goals. He scored his 54th in the last match against Al Taawoun. Now comes IFFHS with an icing on the cake for Ronaldo. “A dramatic culmination determined the winner of the IFFHS Men’s Best Global Goal Scorer 2023 award. Just a few days before the year ended, Cristiano Ronaldo took over the lead and finished on top with 54 goals,” read the official IFFHS statement. The IFFHS also praised the five-time Ballon d’Or winner for achieving this feat at the age of 38.

via Reuters

All goals from January 1 to December 31, 2023, at the top senior level were considered: top national and regional leagues, national cups, official international club tournaments, and official games between national teams.

Both Kylian Mbappe and Harry Kane tallied 52 goals each and fell short against Ronaldo. Mbappe, who won the IFFHS top scorer award last year, has now finished in second place.

Though he and Kane have tied for the same number of goals, the Frenchman has scored more for the national team than Kane. Therefore, he had the better of Kane in the IFFHS ranking. Meanwhile, Erling Haaland‘s goal riot got cut short at 50, owing to an ankle injury. Hence, the winner is Ronaldo. But the IFFHS might have to honor him in 2024 as well.

After scoring his 54th in the Al Nassr-Al Taawoun match, Ronaldo said in an interview that he has no plans to stop in 2024. “I want to be the world’s top scorer in 2024,” the five-time Ballon d’Or winner said. Besides, he also remarked that he will continue with the same zeal for Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr.

If things go well, ‘CR7’ has a lot to achieve in 2024. Al Nassr is still a contender for the Saudi Pro League title. If they win, Ronaldo will be upgrading his trophy cabinet. Moreover, Portugal will be playing in the UEFA Euro 2024. So Ronaldo can further extend his goal-scoring record with Portugal at the tournament.

Therefore, if Ronaldo rises to the occasion this year like he always does, the IFFHS might end up honoring him again, but at the age of 39!