When the dust settles, Sept. 30, 2015, might well be regarded as the day Cristiano Ronaldo decided to leave Real Madrid. The striker scored twice against Malmo in the Champions League, and like with most of his goals these days, one or two records fell as the ball crossed the line. Except this time, one milestone was extremely significant, representing the accomplishment of something that started back in 2009, when he arrived from Manchester United. That strike, a second of the night nudged home from a couple of yards out, was the goal that saw him break Raul Gonzalez’s record as Real Madrid’s top scorer of all-time.

Or did it? The club say he’s now scored 324 goals, one more than Raul. Spanish newspaper Marca agree, and Cristiano himself certainly does, but official records say he is now tied with the legendary Spain striker. A goal which deflected off Pepe in 2010 against Real Sociedad is the cause of the conflict, with his determination to claim it testament to the way he has been brutally plowing his way to this target.

SEE MORE: Watch Cristiano Ronaldo score his 500th career goal.

For the first time in seven months, Ronaldo spoke to Spanish journalists after the game, but instead of celebrating on what should have been a historic night, he verbally scrapped with reporters, repeatedly stating “as I have said millions of times, nobody knows” to questions about where his future lies. The Madrid star was ice cold and red hot in turns, saying he “doesn’t want to speak” about whether anyone at Real Madrid has disrespected him – the subtext pointing to club president Florentino Perez. He then attacked a reporter for asking what he deemed “unintelligent” questions.

At various points in the past, Ronaldo has seemed close to leaving the Santiago Bernabeu, including this summer, but he has been like a shark hurtling through water after scenting a single drop of blood. Few believed he would depart while so close to Raul’s record. Now that he has broken the record, at least in his own head, Ronaldo will be wondering what there is left for him at Real Madrid. The fans will hope the desire to keep scoring goals in white is enough to keep him happy.

Of course, Ronaldo loves scoring goals, and there are still records for him to obtain. He will also want to put some distance between himself and Raul, to make it less likely that someone will surpass his total in the coming years, if not longer. Right now, though, there are no threats on the horizon.

If he did leave, he might find other clubs’ service doesn’t live up to what the likes of Karim Benzema, James Rodriguez and Gareth Bale can provide for him at Madrid. Benzema in particular is a dream to play with for Ronaldo. No one has provided more assists for the three-time World Player of the Year than the Frenchman, who Cristiano has routinely hails as the “best striker in the world.” Even Bale, a player whom he is said to keep at arm’s length, viewing him as a threat to his throne at the Bernabeu because of his strong backing by Perez, has subjugated himself during his time in Madrid, only recently moving to a more central role that suggests the Welshman’s time to be the protagonist is coming.

Still, now that he has achieved this milestone, the chance to leave may seem more attractive than ever, for several reasons.

Reasons to depart

Ronaldo might want to improve his trophy haul, which comes up short when compared to previous Madrid greats. Raul, for example, has three Champions League titles and six La Ligas. Ronaldo has one on each count. Even including Ronaldo’s Manchester United honors, he falls one European trophy and two domestic titles short of the man whose record he has usurped.

Bale and James are the players it makes sense to shape Real Madrid around, particularly now that the Portuguese’s game has changed so much. Instead of dribbling past people or firing in long-range strikes, Ronaldo has become a dead-eyed predator. He finishes moves from inside the penalty area instead of orchestrating them, and there are doubts over whether a top team can carry a pure poacher, even if one as good as Ronaldo would be the exception to the rule.

SEE MORE: Watch the trailer for the new documentary on Cristiano Ronaldo.

Furthermore, when Bale signed for Real Madrid for $130 million, he became the world’s most expensive player. If Ronaldo moves, he could topple that record again, like he did when he signed for Madrid in the first place. At the very least, he will break the cumulative fees record currently held by Angel di Maria, whose moves have been worth $203 million in transfer fees. To date, Ronaldo’s moves have set his clubs back $140 million.

There is also a tremendous amount of pressure on Ronaldo in Spain that simply would not be replicated in other countries. Here he is the symbol of Real Madrid, which means he is the key force in the physical, emotional and even political battle with Barcelona.

Ronaldo’s every move becomes focused on in minute detail, with his birthday party in February, after a 4-0 defeat by Atletico Madrid, examined almost forensically. The criticism he received after the derby defeat was brutal, and it led to him declaring in March that he would not speak to the media again until the end of the season.

On Spanish football chat show El Chiringuito, for example, they analyzed his movements in a brief post-match brush with Rafa Benitez. Bringing in a body language expert, they decided he was cold to the coach, who awkwardly patted him as Ronaldo walked past to speak to a UEFA delegate.

Cristiano also has a different type of attachment to Real Madrid than, say, Messi to Barcelona. The Argentine has spent his entire professional career in the Catalan capital, and if he ever does leave, it will surely be back to his homeland and his junior side, Newell’s Old Boys. Ronaldo, on the other hand, has played for Portuguese giants Sporting Lisbon, and the biggest side in England, Manchester United. It’s not that he doesn’t have any loyalty to Madrid, it’s just more of a marriage of convenience.

In the summer, Ronaldo sold his image rights to Peter Lim’s Mint Media, which some saw as an intention to leave the club. Lim owns Valencia, so for Cristiano’s image to be generating income for a rival club is an oddity.

Possible destinations

If he went to a lesser league, as France’s Ligue 1 is considered, he could still compete numerically with Messi. Playing for PSG would be an attractive option for Ronaldo, who could continue racking up huge individual numbers. Zlatan Ibrahimovic is on the verge of becoming PSG’s all-time leading scorer, currently just two shy of Pauleta’s 109 goals. Three averages season from Ronaldo in France would claim that record, too.

It would also be a good way of adding to his career honors list, with the club well-poised to win the division this season, next season, and beyond. Moreover, leading the club to a first Champions League title in their history would see him as revered on the banks of the Seine as is Madrid or Manchester.  Moving to Laurent Blanc’s side would also allow him to keep adding to his Champions League goal total, now at 82, higher than any other player. Messi is on 77.

SEE MORE: PSG planning to pay £250 million for Ronaldo next summer.

The same goes if he chooses to return to Manchester United, who would gladly take him back at Old Trafford, a place where he is truly loved. While Wayne Rooney — a former teammate about whom Ronaldo recently said, “Maybe we will play together again one day” — is within 14 goals of Sir Bobby Charlton’s long-standing club record of 249, Ronaldo is currently 18th on the list, with 118. The idea of being the leading goalscorer at Madrid and Manchester United would certainly appeal to him. Achieving this would be hard. It would be unlikely, improbably, fantastical. But Ronaldo is unlikely, improbable, fantastical. He is an outlier. A freak.

Of course, returning to United would raise the chance of negative comparisons against his first spell, even if he’s now a different type of player. Despite all the evidence that his game has changed, the accessibility of Spanish football on English television and via the internet, memories live long, and some of the ones he created at United are indelible. They would be getting a different Ronaldo to the one who departed.

There is a third option: moving out of Europe. The United States is somewhere his agent has previously mentioned he would consider when his Madrid contract expires in 2018. He would be paid exorbitant amounts of money, and the move would be good for the Cristiano brand, which, judging by the new cologne he has released, is something he is interested in developing. Cristiano could then aim to become the world’s best known footballer, as opposed to the world’s best.

As Ronaldo says, “nobody knows” where his future lies — not even he does — but the chances of it being somewhere away from Real Madrid are high. And after passing Raul’s record, those chances are higher still.