Cristiano Ronaldo is 21 goals away from 1,000: Can he reach the historic milestone in 2026?

Cristiano Ronaldo continues to close in on a milestone no player has ever reached: 1,000 professional career goals. The Portuguese star scored against Abha Club in Al Nassr's 2-1 victory to reach 979, leaving him 21 short. The big question now is whether his remaining 2026 schedule gives him enough time to reach the historic mark before the end of the year.

Ronaldo found the net again on Matchday 6 of the Saudi Pro League, taking another step toward a milestone that has become one of the major storylines of the final stage of his career.

Time, however, is becoming a factor.

How many goals does Cristiano Ronaldo need to reach 1,000?

The math is simple. Cristiano Ronaldo has 979 career goals and needs 21 more to reach 1,000.

His goal against Abha Club reduced the gap once again, and Al Nassr's upcoming schedule provides several opportunities before the end of the year across the Saudi Pro League and AFC Champions League.

Based on the matches scheduled through December 14, Al Nassr has at least 16 games remaining.

If Ronaldo played in all of them and were to reach 1,000 solely during those fixtures, he would need to score at a rate of approximately 1.31 goals per game.

That would be a demanding pace even for one of the most prolific scorers in history, although every brace or multi-goal performance could quickly change the projection.

Can Cristiano Ronaldo reach 1,000 goals in 2026?

Mathematically, the possibility remains alive. Ronaldo needs 21 goals, with Al Nassr facing a busy schedule between September and December.

The next opportunity comes on September 12 against Al Khaleej Club, followed by an AFC Champions League trip to face Club Deportivo y Cultural Al Ain on September 15.

October will be particularly busy, with seven matches scheduled across both competitions.

More opportunities follow in November before three December fixtures complete the schedule provided through December 14.

How many of those matches Ronaldo plays and the scoring pace he maintains will ultimately determine how realistic the 1,000-goal milestone becomes before the end of 2026.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Al Nassr's upcoming 2026 schedule

September 12: vs Al Khaleej Club — Saudi Pro League
September 15: vs Club Deportivo y Cultural Al Ain — AFC Champions League
October 9: vs Al Draih — Saudi Pro League
October 12: vs FK Neftchi Fergana — AFC Champions League
October 15: vs Al-Ahli Saudi Football Club — Saudi Pro League
October 18: vs Neom Sports Club — Saudi Pro League
October 23: vs Al-Faisaly — Saudi Pro League
October 26: vs Al Wasl Football Club — AFC Champions League
October 29: vs Al-Kholood Club — Saudi Pro League
November 2: vs FC Pakhtakor Tashkent — AFC Champions League
November 5: vs Al-Hazm Rass — Saudi Pro League
November 20: vs Al-Qadisiya — Saudi Pro League
November 24: vs Al-Sadd Sports Club — AFC Champions League
November 26: vs Al-Shabab — Saudi Pro League
December 8: vs Al-Gharafa SC — AFC Champions League
December 10: vs Al-Hilal FC — Saudi Pro League
December 14: vs Al-Fateh SC — Saudi Pro League