By: Osabuohien Imuetinyanosa
Cristiano Ronaldo may have left elite club soccer at the start of 2023, but the former Manchester United and Real Madrid superstar, who turns 41 on February 5, remains very much in the spotlight.
Ronaldo has made no secret of his aim to reach 1,000 career goals in professional soccer. He currently sits at 961 and is expected to captain Portugal at the 2026 World Cup in North America, which would be his sixth tournament, setting a new record. Argentina icon Lionel Messi and Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa are expected to match that feat.
There have even been rumors this week that Ronaldo could make a high-profile return to European club soccer or perhaps move to MLS, following his very public falling out with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, the majority owners of Al Nassr, his current club.
The quest for 1,000 goals continues
What the immediate future holds for Ronaldo remains unclear, but the forward will undoubtedly want any issues resolved as soon as possible as he continues his quest for 1,000 goals.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner needs 39 more goals to reach that milestone, which he could achieve by this time next year if he keeps up his recent scoring pace in Saudi Arabia. That timeline could shift, however, if he chooses to play in a different country and league.
Scoring consistently at every age
Ronaldo has scored at least one of his 961 goals at every age since making his professional debut for Sporting CP at 17.
Initially a winger, the Portuguese star scored just once as an 18-year-old, the same age he made the move from Sporting to Manchester United. A far cry from the numbers he would go on to produce over the next two decades.
Since turning 21, Ronaldo has only once failed to score at least 25 goals between birthdays. That was at 37, during his ill-fated second spell at Old Trafford.
Between the ages of 25 and 32, Ronaldo scored a minimum of 50 goals each year for Real Madrid and Portugal, with his peak coming at 27, when he netted 67 times across the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons. He also scored 60+ goals at ages 28 and 29, helping Real Madrid secure their 10th Champions League trophy.
Even in his late 30s, Ronaldo has kept up his scoring pace. He surpassed 50 goals at ages 38 and 39 after moving to Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League. In the year leading up to his 41st birthday, he bagged 38 goals, nearly the exact number he still needs to hit the 1,000-goal mark.
_From Sources._
