Ronaldo receives praise after breaking 800 goal barrier | Football news

Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo took his career to the next level by scoring twice against Arsenal on Thursday to bring his tally to 801 for club and country, earning praise from some of the game’s top scorers.

Premier League all-time top scorer Alan Shearer was stunned by Ronaldo’s performance in United’s 3-2 win.

“You just have to sit down and say ‘wow’ and applaud the guy,” Shearer said on Amazon Prime Video.

“It’s very difficult to get to the top but it stays there too. You have to get up in the morning and start over and the whole world is waiting for you to perform every week. It’s just phenomenal what he has done.”

Former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry has said he would need “two lives” to break the latest 36-year-old record.

Ronaldo has scored 686 club goals for Sporting Lisbon, United, Real Madrid and Juventus, and 115 goals for Portugal.

There is debate over his status as the most prolific goalscorer in men’s football, with Brazilians Pelé and Romario both scoring more than 1,000 goals, but statisticians say the Portuguese striker tops the scorers’ table in the official competitions.

Former England international Gary Lineker said Ronaldo’s latest career milestone was “totally bonkers”.

“He is without a doubt one of the greatest players in the history of the game. An absolute phenomenon,” Lineker said on Twitter.

Ronaldo is United’s top scorer this season with 12 goals in 16 appearances in all competitions. His brace against Arsenal propelled United to seventh place.