'Probably My Last Year': Cristiano Ronaldo Begins Final Race To Reach 1000 Goal Milestone

Cristiano Ronaldo starts the new season just 24 goals short of a 1,000-goal milestone after saying the campaign will 'probably' be his last in football. The 41-year-old Al-Nassr forward has scored 976 times for club and country, turning the coming months into a race between a historic total and the end of his playing career.

'This is probably my last year of football, and I want to leave a spectacular legacy,' Ronaldo told Vogue. He has not set a retirement date, but will remain with Al-Nassr this season as he tries to close the gap to a milestone no player has reached using only official competitive matches.

The question is whether Ronaldo can add the remaining 24 goals before deciding to stop playing. He has exceeded that total in all but one of the past 22 seasons, although his fitness, selection and workload will determine whether he can complete the chase.

Cristiano Ronaldo's 1000-Goal Challenge

Ronaldo's 976-goal total spans a senior career that began with Sporting in 2002 and has included Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus, Al-Nassr and Portugal. The figure covers both club and international football.

Pele, Romario, Ferenc Puskas and Gerd Muller are among the players estimated to have reached four-figure career totals, though records from their eras also included exhibitions and unofficial matches.

Ronaldo would become the first player to reach 1,000 career goals when counting only official competitive matches. Earlier four-figure career tallies attributed to other players included exhibition or unofficial fixtures.

His record since moving to Saudi Arabia suggests the target is within reach. Ronaldo has scored 129 goals in 148 appearances for Al-Nassr, a rate of one every 1.15 matches; if he maintains that return, he would need roughly 28 club games to score the remaining 24.

The 2022–23 campaign was the only one of the previous 22 seasons in which Ronaldo did not reach 24 goals. He still scored 23 after limited playing time at Manchester United before joining Al-Nassr in January.

How the Goal Countdown Could Unfold

Ronaldo can reduce the gap with Portugal as well as Al-Nassr. He has six UEFA Nations League matches available in September, October and November, provided he is selected for the squad.

Since the start of 2024, Ronaldo has scored 16 goals in 24 appearances for Portugal. At that rate, he could score around four goals across six international fixtures, though that calculation is an estimate rather than a prediction.

Four Portugal goals would leave Ronaldo needing 20 more for Al-Nassr. At his current club scoring rate, that would require roughly 23 matches, with the Saudi Super Cup final on 4 December potentially serving as Al-Nassr's 23rd fixture if the club reach the semi-finals.

Al-Nassr would then have an AFC Champions League Elite match followed by a Riyadh derby against Al-Hilal on 11 December. A milestone in either fixture would generate attention, although it would require Ronaldo to maintain an exceptional run of form.

February 2027 Could Offer a Better Opportunity

A December breakthrough is possible, but Ronaldo may not be available for every fixture at 41. Al-Nassr face a demanding programme across the Saudi Pro League, King's Cup, Saudi Super Cup and AFC Champions League Elite, so his minutes may be managed.

The Saudi Pro League is due to enter recess for the 2027 Asian Cup on 15 December. Ronaldo would therefore need to score at a particularly rapid rate to reach 1,000 before the break.

His recent seasons suggest early 2027 could offer a more realistic opportunity. Ronaldo scored his 24th goal for club and country on 14 February last season, while he reached the same mark on 21 January in the previous campaign, when Al-Nassr had a comparable fixture schedule.

Al-Nassr are expected to resume their domestic and continental schedule in February after the Asian Cup recess.

If Ronaldo enters the break close to 1,000, those fixtures could provide his clearest opportunity to reach the landmark.

Ronaldo said he expects leaving football to be emotionally difficult after a career built around a demanding routine.

'Of course I'll cry. It will be very, very difficult,' he said, adding that he had been preparing for life after football since he was 25 or 26 because 'nothing will compare to the adrenaline that I feel when I score a goal'.

For now, no farewell date has been confirmed. Every goal for Al-Nassr or Portugal will, however, bring Ronaldo closer to a milestone that could define the final chapter of his career.