Ronaldo Goal 1000: Countdown, Stats & Projections

Football’s top scorer in official games and one of the most influential athletes in the history of the sport, the Portuguese will enter the year in which he will compete in his last World Cup in a kind of countdown. Saudi leader, Al-Nassr will still take the field once again in 2025: tomorrow, at 2:30 pm (Brasília time), visiting Al-Ettiffaq, eighth in the league. Runner-up in the competition with 10 goals scored, one behind strike partner and compatriot João Félix, Cristiano would need a gala performance, with four goals, to close the year at 40 out of 1,000. But the opportunity is there.

So far, the guy has scored 40 goals in 2025, the year in which he was on the field in 45 games for the Portuguese club and national team. In other words, it boasts an average of 0.88 goals per match. In simple terms, it would take 50 games to maintain this pace. However, the number of times it will be in action will, of course, depend on the collective performance of its teams and the context of its use on the field.

Last season, Al-Nassr were semi-finalists in the Asian Champions League. They fell to the Japanese Kawasaki Frontale, but secured an eight-game campaign, with eight goals scored by Cristiano. This time, the club is competing in Champions League Two, a second-tier continental competition, which had a less complicated path for the team coached by Jorge Jesus, but which, on the other hand, is not a priority for the club – which is directly reflected in CR7’s minutes.

Of the six games that Nassr played in the group stage of the competition, Ronaldo was only on the field in one: against Al-Zawra’a, from Iraq. The star’s load control is part of Jesus’ plan, announced as soon as he arrived at the club. One of the ideas is to rest him in less important matches or those that require long trips.

— Everyone loves Cristiano, he has a lot of fans. We have decided that he should rest when we play away from Saudi Arabia. Everyone wants to see him, but we need to make choices — explained the Portuguese coach in October.

In addition to the Saudi Championship and Champions Two, Nassr competed in the King’s Cup of Saudi Arabia (fell in the round of 16) and the Saudi Super Cup (was runner-up). Between now and the World Cup, the striker has 26 guaranteed games on his calendar. In the unlikely event of playing all of them — and maintaining the current average —, he could score half of the goals needed before going to the World Cup: 22, in the cold calculations.

Hook avoided in Portugal

For the national team, Cristiano still has two more opportunities to be on the field before the World Cup: the friendlies against hosts Mexico and the United States, in March. At the World Cup, the Portuguese will be in group K, with Colombia, Uzbekistan and one of those classified through the intercontinental playoff.

The guy even escaped a hook that could last up to three games, which would have taken him out of important commitments for Portugal in the World Cup — he was sent off for throwing an elbow in a match against Ireland, in the qualifiers. But he only played one game, already done.

For some time, Cristiano discussed the possibility of scoring a thousandth goal, citing doubts about the longevity of his career. As the milestone approaches, however, he starts to talk more about it. Yesterday, in a speech at the Globe Soccer Awards, he admitted that he does have that goal.

— It’s difficult to continue playing, but I have the passion and I’m motivated to continue. No matter where I’m playing, in the Middle East or in Europe, I always want to win more trophies and I want to reach the milestone that everyone knows about (the thousandth goal). I am confident that I will achieve it if there are no injuries. Enjoy the night and happy new year — said the Portuguese when receiving the award for best active player in the Middle East.