Cristiano Ronaldo scores 67th career hat-trick: How his record compares to Lionel Messi

Cristiano Ronaldo remains soccer’s ultimate scoring machine. In Al Nassr’s pulsating 5–3 victory over Al Kholood, the Portuguese icon produced his 67th career hat-trick, extending his cushion over Lionel Messi at the summit of the sport’s all-time treble leaderboard.

On his relentless march toward 1,000 official career goals, Ronaldo delivered a vintage second-half clinic at Alawwal Park, bagging three goals in a devastating 15-minute blitz to secure three crucial points for Al Nassr in the 2026–27 Saudi Pro League.

Reaching 67 career hat-tricks creates further daylight between Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, who sits on 62 career trebles across his legendary stints with Barcelona, Inter Miami, and Argentina. While the two icons have traded statistical records for nearly two decades, Ronaldo’s latest milestone reaffirms his unmatched volume as a pure penalty-box marksman

The race to 1,000 career goals heats up

While Ronaldo enters every campaign chasing team silverware, his most historic personal pursuit remains the unprecedented quest to breach the 1,000-goal barrier—a benchmark never verified in top-tier professional football.

Following Thursday’s treble, Ronaldo stands at 985 official career goals for club and country. With more than half of the domestic season remaining, continental fixtures on the horizon, and an active role with the Portugal national team, the 41-year-old is firmly on course to eclipse the four-figure mark before the 2026–27 campaign concludes.

Ronaldo recently hinted that this season may well be his last as a professional player, adding dramatic urgency to every appearance. If he crowns his extraordinary career by becoming the first player in history to score 1,000 official goals, he will have conquered football’s final statistical frontier, paving the way for a fitting farewell at the pinnacle of the sport.