Cristiano Ronaldo is closing in on one of football's most extraordinary individual milestones, with the Portugal captain now within striking distance of the unprecedented 1,000-career-goal mark as he prepares for what is widely expected to be his final FIFA World Cup appearance this summer.
According to ESPN's running tracker, Ronaldo has now reached 973 career goals across club and country, leaving him just 27 strikes away from quadruple digits. He hit the 970 mark with a header against Al Ahli at the end of April and has since continued to find the net at a pace that defies his 41 years of age.
On the club front, the Al Nassr forward has delivered a season for the history books in Saudi Arabia. He led the club to the 2025-26 Saudi Pro League title, scoring a vital brace in the final matchday's 4-1 victory, and helped his side advance to the semifinals of the 2026 AFC Champions League Two after a confident win over Al Wasl. It marks Ronaldo's first major domestic trophy in the Kingdom since arriving from Manchester United.
Behind the goals, however, is a carefully managed body. Al Nassr's medical and coaching staff have begun substituting Ronaldo earlier in matches to preserve his fitness for Portugal's World Cup campaign. He has not completed a full 90 minutes since 21 February 2026, with recent withdrawals coming in the 67th, 78th, 82nd, and 83rd minutes of league fixtures, per data cited by World Soccer Talk.
The forward himself has acknowledged the moment. Speaking after the title-clinching win over Al Ahli, Ronaldo admitted he is "approaching the end" of his playing career, framing the looming World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico as the likely curtain call on his international story.
For Portugal head coach Roberto Martinez, the balancing act is delicate. Ronaldo remains the team's totem and a guaranteed goal threat from set pieces, yet questions persist over how to integrate him alongside a younger generation of attackers without compromising his sharpness. World Soccer Talk has framed it as a genuine selection conundrum heading into the tournament.
What is no longer in doubt is the trajectory. Whether he reaches 1,000 goals before the World Cup or completes the milestone during it, Ronaldo's 2026 chapter is shaping up as one of the most closely watched farewell tours in sporting history.