Cristiano Ronaldo has built one of the most unusual careers in soccer history, and the numbers show it. After his 30th birthday, he has scored more goals and more hat-tricks than he did before reaching that age, a stat that turns what is usually considered the beginning of the decline into the start of a second historic stage.
Before turning 30 on Feb. 5, 2015, Ronaldo had scored 463 goals and 30 hat-tricks, during a first stage that took him from Sporting to Manchester United and then to Real Madrid, where he became one of the most dominant forwards the sport has ever seen. It was a career that, by itself, would have been enough to place him among the greatest.
Since then, the Portuguese forward has added 522 goals and 37 hat-tricks to his tally, in a second stage that includes his time at Real Madrid, Juventus, a return to Manchester United and now Al Nassr. That means he has scored 59 more goals and seven more hat-tricks after turning 30 than he did before.
The latest example came recently, when Ronaldo scored a hat-trick in just 15 minutes in Al Nassr’s 5-3 win over Al Kholood. At 41, he has reached 985 career goals and is now 15 away from the 1,000 mark, a milestone that seemed impossible just a few years ago.
Image made with AI.
Can Ronaldo reach 1,000 goals in 2026?
With 15 goals still needed and less than two months left in the year, the question is whether Ronaldo can reach 1,000 before the end of 2026. The published schedule gives him up to 13 matches: 11 with Al Nassr across the Saudi Pro League and continental competition, starting with the trip to Pakhtakor on Nov. 2, and two with Portugal in the UEFA Nations League.
see also
Cristiano Ronaldo makes history with 11th perfect hat-trick in career: How many does Lionel Messi have?
That means he would need to average 1.15 goals per game if he plays all 13, and 1.36 if he plays only the 11 for Al Nassr. Scoring once in every match would leave him two goals short.
The Portugal games are the wild card. Ronaldo has been included in the national team’s preliminary squad for the November fixtures, and the 30-day suspension imposed by the Portuguese federation no longer keeps him out.
However, his place in the final list is not guaranteed: head coach Jorge Jesus will announce his squad on Nov. 6 for Portugal’s home match against Denmark on Nov. 14 and the visit to Wales on Nov. 17.
Reaching 1,000 by Dec. 31 is mathematically possible, but it would require a remarkable finish to the year, with multiple braces or another hat-trick. If he falls short, the milestone could simply arrive in the early months of 2027, which would still make it one of the most memorable achievements of his career.
