Cristiano Ronaldo marked his presence at the 16th edition of the Globe Soccer Awards that took place in Dubai at the luxurious Atlantis Royal Hotel. He was officially named the Best Middle East Player for 2025 on Sunday.

The achievement came for Ronaldo just a day after he produced a match-winning effort for Al-Nassr. He scored a brace as Al-Nassr defeated Al-Akhdoud 3-1 in the Saudi Pro League. This was the third time Ronaldo won this award, having bagged the honour every single year since it was introduced following his move to the Saudi Pro League in 2023. The legendary footballer has been in remarkable goal-scoring form for Al-Nassr as he continues to maintain his legacy in a completely different region.

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At the age of 40 and towards the twilight of his long and stellar career, Ronaldo has cemented his status as one of the region's most influential sports icons. The star-studded event was attended by global sporting icons, including Novak Djokovic, Lamine Yamal, and Paul Pogba, among others.

"It's a huge pleasure to be at a gala with so many sports personalities," Ronaldo said after receiving the award. "This is one of my favourites because I meet incredible people, including my wife. It's demanding to keep playing, but I still have the passion, and I'm motivated to continue. It doesn’t matter if I play in the Middle East or Europe; I want to keep winning titles and reach the milestone everyone knows."

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Ronaldo, who has had an incredible career so far, is heading closer to the astonishing milestone of 1000 career goals, and the five-time Ballon d’Or winner is confident of achieving the feat provided he remains injury-free. He now has 956 goals to his name for club and country.

"I’m confident I’ll get there if there are no injuries. Enjoy the night and Happy New Year," he said. Ronaldo was later asked to present 24-time Grand Slam winner Djokovic with the Globe Sports Award.

"For me, he is an example of longevity," Ronaldo said of Djokovic. "We have a similar story. He deserves this because he is an example for the past generation, the current one and the next."


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