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Cristiano Ronaldo moved closer to the 1,000-goal landmark on Wednesday after scoring a powerful header in Al Nassr’s Saudi Pro League clash with Abha.
The 41-year-old Portuguese forward broke the deadlock in the 22nd minute, rising above his marker to meet Angelo’s corner near the six-yard box before directing a firm header beyond Abha goalkeeper Donovan Leon and into the far post.
The goal was Ronaldo’s third in five appearances for Al Nassr in the 2026-27 Saudi Pro League season and his 132nd for the club since joining the Saudi side.
Al Nassr had dominated possession and created the clearer opportunities against newly promoted Abha but initially struggled to convert their superiority. Ronaldo had failed to hit the target with his first two attempts before making his third opportunity count.
More significantly, the strike took Ronaldo’s official career tally to 979 goals, leaving him only 21 goals short of the 1,000-goal mark.
The landmark has gained greater attention after Ronaldo recently suggested that the 2026-27 campaign could be his final season as a professional footballer. That has placed renewed focus on whether he can reach the unprecedented figure before ending his playing career.
Ronaldo entered Wednesday’s match with three goals in five appearances this season, giving him a scoring rate of 0.60 goals per game. At that rate, he would need roughly 35 more matches to score the 21 goals required to reach 1,000.
Al Nassr still have fixtures in the Saudi Pro League, King’s Cup and AFC Champions League Elite, while Ronaldo could also feature for Portugal in the UEFA Nations League. That gives the veteran forward more than 40 potential matches to pursue the milestone during the campaign.
The goal also strengthened Al Nassr’s position at the top of the Saudi Pro League standings, with the club moving level with Al Hilal on 15 points.
