Ronaldo scores 979th career goal in quest for rare 1,000 milestone

Cristiano Ronaldo moved to within touching distance of one of football’s most extraordinary milestones after scoring his 979th career goal in Al Nassr’s 2-1 victory over Abha at the Al-Awwal Park stadium in Riyadh on Wednesday.

The 41-year-old Portuguese superstar opened the scoring in the 22nd minute at Al Awwal Park in Riyadh, rising above his marker to powerfully head home Angelo’s inswinging corner.

Tap here to add The Daily Star as a trusted source

The ball clipped the post before crossing the line, but there was no doubt who the goal belonged to.

Messi, his closest challenger, has 927 official career goals from 1,171 appearances -- 52 fewer than Ronaldo.

More importantly, it took Ronaldo’s official career tally to 979 goals in 1,334 matches, leaving him just 21 strikes away from the unprecedented 1,000-goal mark.

Ronaldo’s latest effort was his third Saudi Pro League goal of the 2026-27 campaign and his 132nd for Al Nassr since joining the club.

The former Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus forward has continued to rewrite the record books well into his forties, and the prospect of becoming the first player to score 1,000 competitive senior goals is now firmly within sight.

Image

Ronaldo’s long-running rivalry with Lionel Messi has also taken another fascinating turn.

Messi, his closest challenger, has 927 official career goals from 1,171 appearances -- 52 fewer than Ronaldo.

With both legends approaching the twilight of their careers, the race between them has entered its final chapter.

His latest goal also helped Al Nassr recover from their 2-1 defeat to Al-Ittihad in Jeddah last weekend.

Al Nassr doubled their advantage after the break before Abha pulled one back, but Ronaldo’s side held on to claim all three points.

The victory kept Al Nassr among the early leaders of the Saudi Pro League on 15 points, alongside Al Hilal and Al Qadisiya, while Abha remained rooted to the bottom with just one point.