Cristiano Ronaldo has made history once again — 225 appearances for his country, 143 international goals, 41 goals in World Cup qualifiers, and 948 career goals. A number that just reading it makes fans exclaim: “Unbelievable!”
However, instead of being praised as an immortal legend, Ronaldo became the focus of… sarcasm. And the first person to “fire the shot” was none other than Roy Keane — the legendary former captain of Manchester United, famous for his straightforward style.
When asked about Ronaldo’s new record, Keane responded in a sarcastic tone:
“But is he PRESSING? Is he pressing from the front? I don’t care about goals, as long as he is pressing, I’m satisfied!”
The seemingly joking statement reveals a strange reality in modern football: many coaches and experts are valuing the ability to “press” more than scoring goals.
When “pressing” is more revered than goals
When Ronaldo or Messi were at their peak, what people cared about most was who scored, who made the difference, who decided the match. But in the era of data, charts, and tactical analysis, what is being praised is “pressing intensity”, “running without the ball”, “frontline pressure”.
There is no denying that pressing is an important trend. Teams like Liverpool, Man City or Bayern Munich succeed by controlling the ball and applying constant pressure. However, putting “pressing” above goals – as some are doing – is something that makes many legends like Roy Keane feel “ridiculous”.
Because in the end, football is still a game of goals. You can run for 90 minutes, press 200 times, but if no one scores, the team still loses. And Ronaldo, at 39 years old, still does the most important thing — score goals.
Ronaldo: No need to press, still makes the whole world bow down
Perhaps Roy Keane is not just joking, but also defending the traditional values of football.
Ronaldo is no longer at the age to run around the field chasing the ball like a 22-year-old player. But he knows when, where, and how to finish off opponents.
With 948 goals in his career — a number that will probably be difficult for anyone to reach even in the next century — Ronaldo proves that you don’t need to press like crazy to become great. He is not just a player, but a symbol of perfection, discipline, and killer instinct.
When “goals” are overlooked in the data age
Keane’s sarcasm reflects the common mentality of many old legends: modern football is becoming too “academic”. Experts sit in the data analysis room talking about “expected goals”, “progressive runs”, “high pressing intensity” — but forget that the audience comes to the stadium not to watch pressing, but to watch goals.
And in that game, Ronaldo is still the absolute ruler.
Conclusion: Pressing may be a trend, but goals are the soul of football
Roy Keane, in his characteristic satirical style, spoke for millions of fans:
“Pressing is important, but if you can’t score goals, what’s the point of running?”
Cristiano Ronaldo may not be the “king of pressing”, but he is certainly the king of decisive moments.
And perhaps, as modern football becomes more and more complicated, Ronaldo’s simple and precise shot is still the most beautiful and genuine thing that fans need.
