Brazillian football legend Pele recently congratulated Cristiano Ronaldo for breaking his record for goals in “official matches” after the Portugal star scored a hat trick in Juventus’ 3-1 victory over Cagliari on Sunday.

“Life is a solo flight. Each makes his own journey. And what a beautiful journey you are having! I admire you a lot, I love watching you play and this is no secret to anyone. Congratulations on breaking my record of goals in official matches,” Pele, who posted a picture of himself and Ronaldo embracing, said on Instagram.

“My only regret is not being able to give you a hug today. But I leave this photo in your honor, with great affection, as the symbol of a friendship that has existed for many years.”

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According to ESPN, since football’s world governing body FIFA does not keep an official record of who is on top of the all-time scoring list, it is a benchmark that is hotly contested.

Several media outlets previously hailed Ronaldo for breaking the record when he reached 760 goals as he had supposedly surpassed the record set by Austro-Czech striker Josef Bican. However, the Czech FA subsequently said in January that Bican’s total was actually 821 goals, following a review of his statistics during a career spanning from 1931 to 1955.

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