Following yet another international record, Cristiano Ronaldo has once more redrafted football history and draws near to the improbable 1,000-goal mark.
With amazing scoring consistency for both club and nation, the Portuguese celebrity, now 40, defies expectations and age.
With his brace in Portugal’s 2–2 tie against Hungary on Tuesday, Ronaldo became the World Cup qualifying all-time leading scorer. Two goals brought his total in 51 World Cup qualifiers to 41, therefore passing former Guatemala forward Carlos Ruiz’s mark of 39. Lionel Messi trails behind with 36 goals.
Across his illustrious career, Ronaldo has scored 948 career goals: 143 for Portugal in 225 appearances and 805 for his clubs in 1,068 games. HHis amazing lifespan is further underscored by his ongoing superiority in Saudi Arabia’s Pro League, where he has recorded 104 goals in only 117 appearances for Al-Nassr.
With his two-year contract remaining at Al-Nassr and his current scoring pace, Ronaldo is on track to surpass the 1,000-goal threshold by October 2026. Analysts think the landmark might come if he keeps his present average of over 50 goals per calendar year—a record he has kept since 2010. even sooner, particularly if Portugal makes it to the next World Cup.
Continuing a run of outstanding performance levels unmatched in modern football, Ronaldo has already amassed 32 goals in all competitions in 2025 alone. Still, his most productive year was 2013, when he scored 69 goals and took home the Ballon d’Or.
With 608 goals with his right foot, 181 with his left, and 157 with his head, Ronaldo’s goals show his all-around attacking ability. From outside the box, he has scored 135 goals, including 64 free kicks and 178 penalties. At Real Madrid, where he scored 311 LaLiga goals, his most successful club season came; his Champions League total of 140 is still an all-time high.
From Sevilla, his favorite victim with 27 goals, to Luxembourg on the international stage, Ronaldo’s hunger for goals remains insatiable. With 948 goals and counting, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner shows no signs of slowing down as he marches toward the ultimate milestone—1,000 career goals.
