Cristiano Ronaldo closes in on 1,000 goals after stunning Al-Nassr hat-trick

Cristiano Ronaldo closes in on 1,000 goals after stunning Al-Nassr hat-trick Cristiano Ronaldo moved within 15 goals of reaching 1,000 career goals after scoring a hat-trick in Al-Nassr’s 5-3 victory over Al Kholood in the Saudi Pro League on Thursday. The 41-year-old Portugal international struck three times in 15 second-half minutes at Alawwal Park, finding the net in the 66th, 72nd and 81st minutes to help his side secure all three points. Ronaldo could even have finished the contest with five goals to his name, but two other efforts were ruled out. However, his treble took his career tally to 985 official goals for club and country, bringing him ever closer to a landmark he has openly targeted for several years. Speaking to former Manchester United teammate Rio Ferdinand in 2024, Ronaldo made no secret of his ambition to reach the four-figure mark. The forward has continued to defy expectations at the highest level, having already established himself as one of football’s most prolific goalscorers. Ronaldo has bagged 450 goals for Real Madrid, 146 for Portugal, 145 for Manchester United, 138 for Al-Nassr, 101 for Juventus and five for Sporting Lisbon. Meanwhile, long-time rival Lionel Messi remains the closest active challenger to Ronaldo’s total, with the Argentine sitting on 936 career goals. Ronaldo has enjoyed considerable success since moving to Saudi Arabia. He has won consecutive Saudi Pro League Golden Boots in 2023/24 and 2024/25 before finishing third in last season’s scoring charts as they won the league title. This week, he won the inaugural Ballon d’Or of All Time after edging Lionel Messi in the votes for his 2007/2008 season with Man United. “Football belongs to the fans! Thank you to all the fans around the world, the Ballon d’Or of All Time is also yours,” he wrote on social media . During that campaign, he scored 42 goals and led Man Utd to the Premier League and Champions League titles . He was clearly head and shoulders above his peers that term.