Cristiano Ronaldo, the beautiful game’s all-time great, has long been celebrated for his remarkable goal-scoring talent. At 2025, Ronaldo has amassed over 800 competitive goals to rank among football’s greatest goal scorers of all time. Today, however, as the legendary Portuguese marksman edges into the twilight stages of his illustrious career, the question now is: will he reach 1000 goals before hanging up his boots?
Ronaldo’s Career Track
Ronaldo’s track up to this point has been nothing less incredible. He began in 2002 at Sporting CP, yet it was with Manchester United where he made himself, winning three Premier League crowns and the 2008 UEFA Champions League. From that, he then transferred to Real Madrid, where he became the team’s greatest goalscorer with more than 450 and four Champions League trophies to claim. Later, his transfer to Juventus and re-transfer to Manchester United guaranteed that he stayed in the spotlight, contributing to his goal tallies incessantly.
Throughout his playing career, the style of Ronaldo has evolved but his goal-scoring prowess remained his signature. Whether from open play, dead balls, or headers, Ronaldo has proved his clinical finishing quality to be unequalled. Moreover, he has been extremely versatile, shifting his position from that of a winger to a striker, where his goal-scoring prowess has even grown.
Time Left in Ronaldo’s Career
At 40, Ronaldo’s age is the problem, but it’s a hurdle he’s determined to hurdle. His workout regimen is the best, and the fact that he remains at the top of his playing ability well beyond his late 30s makes him stand out from other soccer athletes. And as he makes plans to keep playing until he is 42 years old, Ronaldo can still ride for another couple of years based on his general health and body.
To score 1000 goals, Ronaldo would need to score approximately 200 more goals. If he scores an average of 25 goals per year (a realistic target for a player of his quality), he could do this in the next two years. This is an ambitious target, but given Ronaldo’s commitment and consistency, it is achievable.
Legacy and Milestones
Even if Ronaldo doesn’t reach 1000 goals, his legacy is already there. His contribution to the game and to the Portuguese game are enormous. Scoring 1000 goals would make him the best goal scorer in football history, even above Josef Bican and Pele.
Overall, reaching 1000 goals will be a challenging achievement, but Ronaldo’s goal-scoring capability and perseverance prove that this can be done. Only time will tell whether this monumental challenge will work, but one thing is certain—Cristiano Ronaldo will be immortalized engraved in the annals of football for generations.