Ronaldo Approaches 1,000 Career Goals
Cristiano Ronaldo is sprinting towards the landmark of 1,000 career goals, and it’s increasingly a matter of when rather than if the forward for both Portugal and Al-Nassr will achieve this milestone. Currently, Ronaldo stands at 950 goals after netting a goal in Saturday’s 2-0 victory over Al Hazm.
Having signed a new two-year deal with Al-Nassr in June, the 40-year-old is set to remain with the Riyadh-based club until the conclusion of the 2026-27 season. The only significant threat to stopping him from reaching this target could be an extensive injury; however, with Ronaldo maintaining a scoring rate close to one goal per game for his club, projections suggest he might reach the 1,000-goal mark by late November or early December of 2026.
How confident can we be about this prediction? Ronaldo has been a consistent goal scorer throughout his career, registering his first goal as a 17-year-old for Sporting CP in October 2002. With close to 1,300 matches played, he has maintained an impressive ratio of 0.73 goals per game.
As it stands, Ronaldo holds a 39-goal edge over Lionel Messi in the race for the most prolific men’s international scorer, with 143 goals to Messi’s tally. He added both goals in Portugal’s recent 2-1 World Cup qualifying win against Hungary earlier this month, and many anticipate he could reach 150 international goals during the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup next summer.
Meanwhile, Messi has just committed to a three-year contract with Inter Miami, keeping him with the MLS team until 2028. With his career total standing at 889 goals for Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Miami, and the Argentina national team, the prospect of him breaking the 1,000-goal barrier remains strong, although Ronaldo’s current pace of scoring gives him a significant lead.
Since his professional debut, Ronaldo has demonstrated an ability to find the back of the net with great frequency, and while Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappé, and Lamine Yamal are potential challengers for future records, they face an uphill battle to match Ronaldo’s accomplishments. Haaland and Mbappé boast impressive goals-per-game ratios, but both players would likely find it challenging to maintain their form into their 40s.
Ronaldo’s current scoring output has surged beyond his already impressive career ratio, with his last 100 goals being scored at a rate of 0.92 goals per 90 minutes played. Adapting to the Saudi Pro League, Ronaldo has shown he can still perform at an elite level, needing only 57 games to move from 900 to 950 career goals.
As long as he continues to score at his current prolific rate, and provided he remains fit, analyses indicate that Ronaldo is on track to reach 1,000 goals approximately 13 months from now. A successful campaign in the AFC Champions League and World Cup next summer could provide him with ample opportunities to achieve this target.
For those eager to mark the occasion, potential dates for celebrating Cristiano Ronaldo’s 1,000th career goal could fall in late November or early December of next year.
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