Twenty to go! Ronaldo reaches 980 career goals in Al-Nassr win
Cristiano Ronaldo keeps closing in on a number no footballer has ever reached. The 41-year-old struck his 980th career goal on Thursday as Al-Nassr faced Al-Dir'iyadh, leaving him just 20 goals away from the mythical 1,000-goal mark.
Details: The goal came in Al-Nassr's Saudi Pro League clash with Al-Dir'iyadh, where the five-time Ballon d'Or winner found the net to move his career tally to 980 official goals for club and country. The strike is his fourth of the 2026-27 league season and continues a remarkable campaign for the veteran, who already has 105 league goals for Al-Nassr, making him the club's all-time leading scorer in the Saudi Pro League. Ronaldo, who has scored 833 club goals and 146 in a record 234 caps for Portugal, became the first man to score at six World Cups in June 2026 and has repeatedly said he will reach 1,000 goals barring injury. His scoring rate offers encouragement: he has averaged well over 40 goals per calendar year in 2024 and 2025, meaning the milestone could realistically fall by the end of next season.
The chase for 1,000 has become one of football's great running stories, and Ronaldo himself has fuelled it at every turn. 'You know what my goal is. I want to win trophies and I want to reach that number that you all know. I will reach the number for sure, if no injuries,' he declared earlier this year. Few doubt him anymore: 500 career goals took him thirteen years, the next 400 took nine, and at 41 he is still producing at a rate that would shame players half his age. The context around him, however, adds a layer of tension to every goal he scores. The Portugal captain is currently facing a possible one-to-six-month suspension from international duty after walking out of the national team camp in September, and every club goal now carries the weight of a countdown that could be interrupted by the federation's disciplinary decision.
It's worth noting that Ronaldo's goal came at a pivotal moment in Al-Nassr's season: the defending Saudi champions are locked in a title race with Al-Hilal, and each of their captain's strikes carries extra weight as Ange Postecoglou's side defend the crown they won last May.
Reminder: Silent treatment! Portugal squad refuses to back Ronaldo's explosive statement.
Miguel Solomons
Dailysports's expert
