Ronaldo was determined to reach 1,000 goals before the end of his career

Cristiano Ronaldo has expressed his determination to score a thousand goals by the end of his career.

And the 40-year-old Portuguese superstar has no doubts he will get there.

“I will definitely reach that number, if there are no injuries,” Ronaldo said late on Sunday at the Globe Soccer Awards in Dubai, where he was named the best player in the Middle East.

Ronaldo reached 956 career goals by scoring twice for Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League on Saturday. His total includes the international men’s record of 143 goals for Portugal, which Ronaldo will lead to the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico next year.

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By the time the World Cup starts, Ronaldo – five-time world player of the year – will be 41 years old.

«I’m still very motivated to keep going,» the former Real Madrid, Manchester United and Juventus striker said on the podium after receiving his award. “It doesn’t matter (where) I play – Middle East, in Europe – I always enjoy playing football, winning trophies, scoring goals, and I want to continue.

“You know what my goal is: I want to win more trophies, and I want to reach the number you all know.”

The World Cup is one of the few trophies missing from Ronaldo’s collection. In 2016 he won the European Championship with Portugal.

Published on December 29, 2025