Can Cristiano Ronaldo Score 1,000 Career Goals? Breaking Down Football’s Biggest Question
- Cristiano Ronaldo stands just 57 strikes away from the mythical 1,000-goal milestone as he seeks to create a massive history
- Pelé stopped at 767 official goals, Romário at 753, but Ronaldo’s relentless pursuit could eclipse them all
- The 40-year-old is still scoring amazing goals for Al Nassr and Portugal as he continues to defy logic
Cristiano Ronaldo has spent his career tearing up the script, setting new standards, and redefining what it means to be a goalscorer in modern football.
Even as he approaches the twilight of his playing days, the Portuguese forward shows no signs of losing his competitive edge.
Source: Getty Images
Turning out for Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia while still leading the line for Portugal at international level, Ronaldo continues to prove that age is just a number.
This enduring hunger to compete at the highest level has sparked one of the biggest questions in football today.
Can Cristiano Ronaldo score 1000 goals?
For decades, the idea of reaching such a milestone seemed almost impossible, more a matter of folklore than reality. Yet, given Cristiano Ronaldo’s relentless scoring rate, there is genuine belief he could achieve it.
Icons of the past, from Pelé to Romário, claimed to have crossed the 1000-goal barrier, though much of their tallies were padded with goals from non-competitive matches.
When it comes to official goal tallies, Pelé scored 767 official goals in 831 matches between 1956 and 1977, according to ESPN.
As for Romario, across a career that stretched from 1985 to 2009, he scored 753 official goals in 994 matches, a tally recognised by statisticians such as RSSSF.
Meanwhile, after his most recent outing — Portugal’s World Cup 2026 qualifier against Hungary on September 9, 2025 — Cristiano Ronaldo's all-time career goals, for club and country, now stand at 943.
According to Transfermarkt, the 40-year-old's haul includes 5 goals for Sporting CP, 145 across two spells at Manchester United, 450 for Real Madrid, 101 during his time at Juventus, 101 for his current club Al Nassr, and 141 for the Portugal national team.
Source: Getty Images
Cristiano Ronaldo's stats
In the 2025/26 season, Cristiano Ronaldo has already registered two goals and one assist in just two appearances for Al Nassr.
According to Wikipedia, on the international stage, he has netted six times for Portugal in 2025, further underlining his enduring prowess in front of goal.
Ronaldo is now in his 26th season as a professional, and his 943 goals to date give him an impressive average of 36.27 strikes per campaign.
With just 57 more needed to reach the 1,000-goal milestone, the legendary forward — recently recognised by SPORTbible among the 100 greatest players of all time — looks well placed to achieve the landmark.
Ronaldo does not sleep with a phone
YEN.com.gh previously published an explainer on why Cristiano Ronaldo avoids keeping a mobile phone in his bedroom, shedding light on his meticulous habits and pursuit of perfection.
The insight was shared by Cédric Soares, who once lined up alongside him for the Portuguese national football team.
Proofreading by Omoleye Omoruyi, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.
Source: YEN.com.gh
