Cristiano Ronaldo isn’t just chasing history, he’s rewriting it in real time. With 950 career goals now etched into the record books, the Portuguese icon is barrelling toward the mythical 1,000-goal milestone like a freight train with no brakes. The question isn’t if he’ll get there. It’s when the fireworks will go off
Ronaldo’s latest strike came in Al-Nassr’s 2-0 win over Al Hazm, nudging his tally to 950. At 40 years old, he’s defying biology and logic, still scoring at nearly a goal per game in the Saudi Pro League.
With a fresh two-year contract keeping him in Riyadh until 2027, the runway is clear for takeoff.
According to projections from ESPN’s Global Sports Research, Ronaldo is on pace to hit the 1,000 mark by late November or early December 2026. That’s assuming he maintains his current rhythm and barring injury, who’s betting against him?
It all began on October 7, 2002, when a 17-year-old Ronaldo netted twice for Sporting CP against Moreirense. Since then, he’s become the most prolific men’s international scorer in history with 143 goals, 39 more than Lionel Messi and counting.
His latest international heroics? A match-winning brace against Hungary in World Cup qualifying. With the 2026 tournament looming, don’t be surprised if he hits 150 for Portugal on the world’s biggest stage.
Messi, now 38 and signed with Inter Miami until 2028, sits at 889 goals. He’s still in the race, but Ronaldo’s 60-goal cushion is a mountain to climb. And let’s be honest—does anyone really think CR7 will let Messi beat him to 1,000? Not a chance.
• Career goals: 950 in 1,293 games (0.73 goals/game)
• Last 100 goals: 0.92 per 90 minutes
• Last 50 goals: 0.93 per 90 minutes
• Time to next 50? Likely 13 months, based on current form
Even in a “less demanding” league, Ronaldo’s output dwarfs that of Karim Benzema, Darwin Núñez, Ivan Toney, and Kingsley Coman this season. He’s not just padding stats—he’s still outscoring elite forwards in their prime.
Could Haaland (324 goals, 0.84/game) or Mbappé (396 goals, 0.74/game) catch him? Maybe—if they play into their 40s. As for 18-year-old Lamine Yamal? At 0.24 goals/game, he’d need two more decades to sniff Ronaldo’s numbers.
If the stars align and the goals keep flowing, circle late November to early December 2026 on your calendar.
That’s when Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to become the first player in football history to score 1,000 goals.
And when he does, it won’t just be a milestone. It’ll be a monument.
