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October 24, 2026
Ronaldo comes into the closing months of 2026 with a huge record within reach: 1,000 official career goals. However, there is now a dispute with the Portugal manager, Jorge Jesus, and this has complicated his international ambitions, where other records were within reach...
Cristiano Ronaldo's 2026-27 season promises to be another fascinating chapter in one of football's most extraordinary careers. At 41, the Portuguese superstar remains a key figure for Al-Nassr as he closes in on the historic milestone of 1,000 official career goals. With more domestic and continental trophies within reach, Ronaldo has plenty left to fight for. However, uncertainty surrounding his international future with Portugal could complicate his pursuit of further records, making the coming months particularly significant.
9️⃣8️⃣2️⃣ Cristiano Ronaldo scores and reaches 982 career goals. ⏳⌛️ 5th goal in Saudi Pro League this season. https://t.co/3X8iAdY8lt
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) October 23, 2026
Ronaldo began the 2026-27 season with 976 official career goals, leaving him 24 short of the historic milestone. His latest appearance against Al-Faisaly on 23 October brought his total to 982 according to the Saudi Pro League, although statistics provider Opta reportedly classified the effort as an own goal.
This means that he is either 18 or 19 goals away, depending on how the goal is finally classified. He is already getting regular goals for Al-Nassr this season, and this means the target is achievable before the season comes to an end.
He has scored at least 24 goals in all but one of his previous 22 seasons. This shows just how consistent he has been throughout his career. Even during his difficult final campaign at Manchester United, he finished the season with 23 goals across his two clubs.
Al-Nassr's schedule offers opportunities through Saudi Pro League fixtures and continental competition. February 2027 appears a realistic period for Ronaldo to approach the milestone, assuming he can maintain his scoring record.
Ronaldo already has the men’s international goalscoring record, with 146 goals in 234 appearances. Just another four goals would take him to 150, setting another fantastic milestone, and one that may be out of reach for years to come.
His international scoring record remains impressive, with 16 goals in 24 appearances since the beginning of 2024. Maintaining that rate would make another four goals realistic if he continues receiving regular opportunities.
However, Ronaldo's involvement now depends on repairing his relationship with Jorge Jesus. Portugal's manager has shown that he is prepared to leave the veteran forward out of his starting line-up, creating uncertainty over his opportunities to extend the record.
On 19 October, the Portuguese Football Federation suspended Ronaldo for 30 days and fined him €255 after he left the national team's training camp. This came on the back of Portugal's match against Norway, when Ronaldo remained an unused substitute despite claiming Jesus had promised him playing time.
Ronaldo went on and accused the manager of breaking his word again during discussions about the incident. He left the camp before Portugal faced Denmark, later apologising to teammates and supporters while accepting responsibility for his actions.
The suspension was backdated, meaning Ronaldo should be eligible for November's Nations League fixtures against Denmark and Wales. Federation president Pedro Proença has publicly supported his return, although Jesus keeps responsibility for team selection.
Ronaldo's 234 international appearances are already a men's world record, but reaching 250 would need another 16 matches. That makes the target much more demanding than reaching 150 international goals.
Portugal's remaining Nations League fixtures provide few immediate opportunities. Reaching 250 would require Ronaldo to continue representing his country beyond the current campaign, potentially extending his international career towards his 43rd birthday.
Ronaldo has already won the Saudi Pro League Golden Boot twice, including a record-breaking 2023-24 campaign when he scored 35 league goals. Another scoring title would add to his achievements in Saudi Arabia while helping his pursuit of 1,000 career goals.
His early-season performances suggest he is more than capable of contributing, although competition from other forwards will be significant. Supporters examining football betting BiggerZ markets can compare his scoring record with those of other leading Saudi Pro League strikers.
Al-Nassr are defending their title, with Ange Postecholou at the helm. He came into the job to replace Jorge Jesus after the success of last season. Ronaldo is supported by attacking players that include João Félix, Sadio Mané and Kingsley Coman. This means that the club has numerous options when it comes to reliable goalscorers.
The AFC Champions League Elite provides another opportunity for silverware, with Ronaldo still seeking Asia's leading continental club trophy. Anyone following sports betting BiggerZ markets can assess Al-Nassr's performances across domestic and continental competitions.
Reaching 1,000 career goals would be an extraordinary achievement for Ronaldo at 41. Adding another Saudi title or continental trophy would strengthen his record further, while reaching 150 international goals remains possible if his Portugal career resumes.
The coming months will determine whether Ronaldo can achieve those targets during the current campaign or must continue playing beyond 2027.
Cristiano Ronaldo next game for Al Nassr is on October 26, against Al Wasl, for the AFC Champions League. You can watch Al Nassr vs Al Wasl, Barcelona vs Real Madrid, PSG vs Lyon, Manchester United v Bournemouth, Liverpool vs Brighton and Sunderland vs Leeds United, all matches provided from our football streaming game pages.
Al Nassr next game:
Al Nassr vs Al Wasl kick-off time (26-10-2026):
Beijing (China) | UTC/GMT+8: 03:00
India (New Delhi) | UTC/GMT+5.30: 00:30
Saudi Arabia (Riyadh) | UTC/GMT+4: 23:00
Spain (Madrid) | UTC/GMT+2: 21:00
Portugal and England (Lisbon/London) | UTC/GMT+1: 20:00
Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) | UTC/GMT-3: 16:00
New York (United States) | UTC/GMT-4: 15:00
Los Angeles (United States) | UTC/GMT-7: 12:00
Sources: ronaldo7.net / livescore.com / bbc.co.uk
