Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 901 goals in his career, a dream number for any player. However, for the Portuguese superstar, this is not the final number.
In a conversation with former teammate Rio Ferdinand, Ronaldo shared that his next goal is to reach the 1,000-goal mark. This shows that Ronaldo has not given up on his ambition and is always setting new challenges for his career.
Ronaldo on the way to creating a new record
Since turning 39, Ronaldo has scored 28 goals, including two in the past week for Portugal. These numbers show that Ronaldo is still maintaining his peak form to continue setting new records.
With his relentless fighting spirit and outstanding talent, Ronaldo is getting closer to the 1,000-goal mark. This is an ambitious goal but not an impossible one for a great player like Ronaldo. Recently, Mail Sport analyzed what Ronaldo needs to do to reach this incredible milestone. Accordingly, this article analyzed that although Ronaldo has shone in the past week, if the Portuguese star wants to reach the 1,000-goal mark, he will have to contribute a lot of goals for his home team Al-Nassr.
Ronaldo has scored 62 goals in 68 games since moving to the Saudi Pro League in January 2023, but his contract expires next summer. Assuming he stays fit for the entire season, Ronaldo could make around 32 appearances in the Saudi Pro League and 29 in other competitions.
If Al-Nassr progresses further in the continental competitions, Ronaldo will have the opportunity to play up to 47 matches, before leaving in June next year. At the current scoring rate at Al-Nassr, Ronaldo is fully capable of scoring 43 more goals corresponding to the above number of appearances. That will help this superstar increase his total number of goals to 944 by June 2025.
Ronaldo sets ambition to score 1,000 goals
The Dark Side of Ambition
Playing for Portugal, the 39-year-old striker has scored 80 goals since turning 30, more than Neymar’s record for Brazil.
Portugal will play four UEFA Nations League games in 2024/25, with two more scheduled later if they reach the final. Ronaldo is likely to score at least two goals in those six games, and possibly more.
The 946 goal mark could be reached next summer, when Ronaldo will need to find a new club to complete his 54 goals. Although CR7 scored 44 goals in the 2023/24 season, he has not surpassed the 50-goal mark in a season since 2015/16. That means Ronaldo will have to attend the 2026 World Cup finals to reach 1,000 goals.
Therefore, it will not be surprising if Ronaldo continues to lead the Portuguese team to participate in the 2026 World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States in 2 years. Remember, the person who supports Ronaldo to break the scoring record is the head coach of the Portuguese team Roberto Martinez. Therefore, the Spanish strategist will find it difficult to refuse Ronaldo’s wish.
Where did Ronaldo’s 901 goals come from?
On the other hand, CR7’s pursuit of the goal of scoring 1,000 goals could “cause trouble” for the national team. After an unsuccessful EURO 2024, CR7’s ambition to participate in the 2026 World Cup at the age of 41 could be another disaster for the Portuguese team. Recently, French sports journalist Julien Laurens spoke out that Cristiano Ronaldo will no longer be able to play in the 2026 World Cup.
Julien Laurens told ESPN: “He will be 41 years old at the 2026 World Cup. I don’t think he should be there. I don’t think Ronaldo is good enough to play in two years.” Laurens even said Ronaldo should learn from Luis Suarez when the Uruguayan player just announced his retirement. “Luis Suarez has just announced his retirement from international football and the basic reason is that he cannot contribute much to the World Cup in two years. He can still play in the CONMEBOL qualifiers, but Suarez understands that in two years, it is too difficult and he will not play in the 2026 World Cup,” Julien Laurens added.
The French football expert noted that Ronaldo’s achievements are truly amazing, but it is time for CR7 to reconsider his future. At that time, although Ronaldo can reach a great milestone in his career, he will unintentionally create a bad image in the eyes of Portuguese football fans.
