 "Cristiano Ronaldo is now only 77 goals away from 1,000 career goals. Image: Reuters")
Cristiano Ronaldo turned 40 on Wednesday, and while most athletes are either retired by this age or struggle to perform at the top level in their fifth decade, there are hardly any such concerns with the Portuguese football star, who continues to deliver on the pitch.
For example, just on Monday, Ronaldo scored two goals as Al-Nassr defeated UAE’s Al Wasl 4-0 in the AFC Champions League. The video of one of Ronaldo’s goals, a flying header that rolled back the years for fans reminded them of the days when the five-time Ballon d’Or winner played for Real Madrid.
In the 2024-25 season, Ronaldo has scored six goals for the Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr in the Asian Champions League so far and 15 goals in 17 league games including three assists. These are crazy numbers for a 40-year-old, regardless of the league.
I know what you are thinking the Saudi Pro League is not as intense as the English Premier League or the Bundesliga. But the level in the league has significantly risen since top players like Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Aymeric Laporte, Kalidou Koulibaly and others joined it over the last few years of the boom. Saudi club Al-Hilal is at the same time the most successful club in the Asian Champions League.
Mission 1000 is now Ronaldo’s biggest target
The good news for Ronaldo fans is that it is almost a guarantee that the 40-year-old will keep competing in the near future as he chases the elusive 1,000 goals mark. No professional footballer has ever touched the 1,000-goal milestone and Ronaldo can become the first.
He is currently on 923 career goals – 77 short of the 1,000-goal mark.
For a long time, it was believed that Brazilian legends Pele and Romario scored over 1,000 goals but it has been eventually brought down to 757 and 772 respectively after accounting for friendlies.
Ronaldo has the opportunity to be the first to reach the landmark and he won’t budge at this stage. After all, numbers are the benchmark he uses to determine who is the best footballer of all time.
He used the same benchmark recently to claim that he is the “most complete player” of all time .
“Who’s the best goal-scorer in history? It’s about numbers. Full stop,” Ronaldo told El Chiringuito, a Spanish television show. “Who’s the player in history who’s scored most goals with their head, their left foot, penalties, free kicks? I was looking the other day, and not being left-footed, I’m in the top 10 goalscorers with their left foot in history. And with my head, and with my right foot, and penalties. All of them,” he added.
“I’m talking about numbers,” Ronaldo said. “I think I’m the most complete player to have existed. In my opinion, I think it’s me. I do everything well in football: with my head, free kicks, left foot. I’m fast, I’m strong.
“One thing is taste – if you like Messi, Pelé, Maradona, I understand that and I respect that – but saying Ronaldo isn’t complete… I’m the most complete. I haven’t seen anybody better than me, and I say it from the heart,” he further added.
Another thing that will help Ronaldo in his Mission 1000 is his unparalleled work ethic and dedication toward maintaining the best standards of fitness. The best way to understand this is the fact that Ronaldo scored 460 goals in his thirties while 440 came in his twenties. 23 came as a teenager and now Ronaldo will look to add 77 more in his forties.