Cristiano Ronaldo reveals pride in goal-scoring form in rare post-match interview

Christiano Ronaldo

Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo doesn't speak with the press much anymore, less so in Spain.

But, on Tuesday, Ronaldo broke his silence and spoke of his pride after scoring a hat trick in Madrid's 4-0 victory over Shakhtar Donetsk. Those three goals put him at 80 in the Champions League, the top scorer in the competition's history. It was also his 33rd hat trick for Real Madrid.

It also sets him up to potentially become the club's all-time top scorer in history: the Portuguese icon is one goal away from Raul's 323 goals in all competitions for Madrid.

"I knew that this would come naturally, without pressure, to dedicate myself and work hard like I always do," Ronaldo told English outlet BT Sport after the match. "And it's good, of course, I'm not going to lie. I feel so proud and happy for this moment to score eight goals in two games.

"But this is not my goal," he continued. "My goal is to be good all season, the team to win, which for me is the most important. And to win collective trophies, which is the Champions League or the (Spanish) league. So I hope my goals will help the team to win. And I feel confident, I feel good, and I want to carry on like that."

Ronaldo's self-imposed ban with the Spanish press was a decision born of frustration, after being criticized despite his elite-level performances. His personal silence began last season, leaving newspapers in Spain alone to question and criticize without response.

He's proving his critics wrong without much worry this season, notching four goals per game in recent weeks. Ronaldo also spoke to the Spanish press in the Santiago Bernabeu mixed zone, taking a quick dig at those reporters before switching focus on his team's performance.

"Before I was bad and now I am good because I have scored eight goals in two games," Ronaldo said. "My teammates trust in me, they give me more passes, and from these passes I score goals.

"We are in good form, the work of the team must be highlighted," he added. "We were strong in defence and the team did good work. Shakhtar played very well, they are a team who are good in possession, but today was Real Madrid's day and we played well." The Score