João Félix wants to set up Cristiano Ronaldo's 1,000th career goal
Portugal forward João Félix has told AS his ambition is to provide the assist when teammate and compatriot Cristiano Ronaldo scores his 1,000th career goal. The pair currently also play together at Saudi club Al-Nassr.
Ronaldo closing in on a historic tally
At 41, Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 979 goals across all competitions and is just 21 short of the symbolic 1,000 mark. As reported by Foot Mercato, Al-Nassr and Portugal teammate João Félix, 26, told AS in an interview: "I want to give Cristiano an assist for his 1,000th goal."
According to 20 Minutes, Ronaldo himself has confirmed he would like to reach that milestone while playing for Portugal, calling it "the cherry on the cake." He added that the target is not an obsession, but that he will get there.
Félix rediscovers his form under Jorge Jesus
João Félix is currently going through a particularly strong spell. Per Foot Mercato, he was named best player of Al-Nassr's most recent title-winning season and has scored in Portugal's last two Nations League matches, against Wales and Norway. Goal.com attributes much of this improvement to coach Jorge Jesus, who has repositioned Félix closer to goal in a so-called "9.5" role, both at Al-Nassr and with the national team. Per the outlet's figures, Félix has scored 21 goals and provided 26 assists under Jesus — more than under any other coach in his career.
Félix himself said that at 26 he feels he has taken a step forward: "I understand the game better, the different phases of a match. It's not the same as being 20 or 21."
Ronaldo keeps playing for Portugal despite criticism
Ronaldo, whose World Cup ended with Portugal's last-16 elimination to Spain, refuses to retire from international football, despite criticism from some fans and media. As reported by RMC Sport, Ronaldo dismissed the criticism at a press conference, saying some media "try to kill me, but only with a shotgun — and even then I dodge the bullet." Several fans compared him on social media to "Homelander," the narcissistic anti-hero from the series The Boys. Ronaldo said he would step away from the national team once the coaching staff asked him to, and promised to announce his departure before his final match wearing the captain's armband.
New Portugal head coach Jorge Jesus, who previously worked with both players at Al-Nassr, has described the start of his tenure with the national team as "the beginning of a new era."
