Game by game, goal by goal, Cristiano Ronaldo has built an impressive series of records throughout his long and successful career. The Portuguese striker has already bagged 943 career goals, just 57 shy of the elusive 1,000-goal mark, a figure no one player has ever officially reached. The Madeira born player’s main objective for the year ahead in 2026 is to both win the World Cup, his sixth participation with his national team and on an individual level, his goal is clear: to be the first player to plant his flag at the summit of 1,000 goals.
Cristiano has scored 943 goals in 1,292 matches since his debut with Sporting CP from Lisbon back in 2002. His career scoring average is 0.72 goals per game, an incredible feat, but since signing for Al Nassr in 2013, the Portuguese star, far from slowing down, has increased his efficiency: he has 104 goals in 117 matches in Saudi Arabia, an average of 0.88 goals per game.
At that rate, which he has increased this season (12 goals in 13 matches) and if injuries don’t prevent him, Cristiano could dream of reaching 1,000 goals by playing around 60 matches. In 2015, he played 46 matches for club and country, although he missed ten due to injury. If Portugal goes far in the World Cup, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to think he could achieve this milestone.
Of course, the challenge is difficult, but not impossible. Not for Ronaldo, who in 2023 and 2024 scored more than 50 goals per year (54 and 51), figures reminiscent of his best form at Real Madrid, the club which he left in 2018. His voracious appetite and hunger haven’t diminished with age. Since his move to Saudi Arabian football, titles have eluded him, but not the top scorer awards, which he has dominated in the last two seasons and which he hopes to win again this year, the year he turns 41.
The career of a Cristiano who has broken down walls that are almost impossible to rebuild. His 143 international goals are a staggering figure. Messi, his eternal rival, trails far behind with 115. At Real Madrid, Mbappé recently equaled his record of 59 goals in a calendar year, but it still seems difficult to imagine a future in which the Frenchman reaches 450 goals in the famous white jersey, a number no one else has achieved.
Cristiano holds a myriad of goal scoring records, but being the all-time top scorer for both national teams and Real Madrid is the main example of what Cristiano is capable of, as he continues his pursuit of 1,000 goals.