Ronaldo won’t retire until 1,000 career goals

Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo has reiterated his desire to reach 1,000 career goals before he calls time on his playing career.

The Al Nassr forward scored the 956th goal of his career in his side’s 3-0 win over Al Okhdood on Saturday and holds the title for the most goals in international football with 141 in 223 games for Portugal.

The 40-year old has two years left on his deal at Al Nassr and will lead Portugal into the 2026 World Cup and has once again made clear he has no intentions of stopping there.

“It’s hard to continue playing, but I am motivated. My passion is high and I want to continue,” Ronaldo said after being named the Best Middle East Player at the Globe Soccer Awards in Dubai on Sunday.

“My passion is high and I want to continue. It doesn’t matter where I play, whether in the Middle East or Europe. I always enjoy playing football and I want to keep going.

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“You know what my goal is. I want to win trophies and I want to reach that number [1,000 goals] that you all know. I will reach the number for sure, if no injuries.”

After his strike against Al Okhdood, Ronaldo reached 40 goals for the calendar year for the third consecutive year and for the 14th time in his career.

He has scored 12 in 10 Saudi Pro League games so far this term, equaling a personal record from his time at Juventus, and will be in action as Al Nassr travel to Al Ettifaq on Tuesday.