Cristiano Ronaldo and the Records Still Within Reach in 2026
At 40, Cristiano Ronaldo is still chasing history. With the 2026 World Cup ahead, a new wave of records could soon fall.
The 1,000-goal milestone
Few numbers carry the weight of four digits, and Cristiano Ronaldo is closing in. The Al-Nassr forward currently sits on 957 official goals, leaving him 43 short of 1,000, a mark no player has ever reached.
If injuries stay away and his scoring rhythm holds, projections suggest the milestone could arrive in the early months of the 2026–27 season. Ronaldo himself has been clear: retirement is not on the table until that number is reached.
“I’m motivated. My passion is still there,” Ronaldo said at the Globe Soccer Awards. “I want to win trophies and I want to reach that number. I will get there, if I stay healthy.”
League titles across four countries
Ronaldo has already conquered England, Spain, and Italy, lifting league titles in the Premier League, LaLiga, and Serie A. What’s missing is a domestic crown in Saudi Arabia.
With Al-Nassr still in the title race, a Saudi Pro League triumph would place Ronaldo in a select group of players to win league titles in four different countries, alongside names like Zlatan Ibrahimović, David Beckham, and Arjen Robben.
No player has ever won league titles in five countries — but this would still be another historic box checked.
World Cup history waiting in 2026
If Ronaldo scores at the 2026 World Cup, he would become the first player ever to score in six different World Cup tournaments.
The Portuguese captain already has goals from 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, and 2022. Lionel Messi will also appear at a sixth World Cup, but his scoreless 2010 campaign rules him out of this particular record.
Once again, Ronaldo would be standing alone.
A century of penalties… and counting
Ronaldo already owns the record for most penalties scored in football history, with 180 conversions. Reaching 200 would require 20 more — ambitious, but hardly unrealistic.
In 2020 alone, he took 20 penalties and converted 17. With club and international football on the calendar, that landmark remains firmly within reach.
A place in Al-Nassr history
While Majed Abdullah’s all-time club record of 259 goals is likely out of reach, Ronaldo is on the verge of another milestone at Al-Nassr.
With 113 goals, he is just three away from surpassing Abderrazak Hamdallah as the club’s highest-scoring foreign player. It’s a smaller headline, perhaps, but another line in a career built on longevity.
Scoring after 30 like no one else
Ronaldo recently became the highest-scoring player over the age of 30, surpassing Ronnie Rooke. The numbers are staggering: 494 goals since turning 30.
Five more would take him to 500 goals after 30, a threshold no player in football history has ever reached.
At 40, Cristiano Ronaldo is no longer chasing rivals — he’s chasing numbers no one else has touched. As 2026 approaches, his legacy isn’t winding down. It’s still being written, one record at a time.
