Cristiano Ronaldo has reached 980 career goals after scoring in Al-Nassr’s 3–0 win over Diriyah in the Saudi Pro League on Friday, October 9, 2026. The Portuguese forward is now 20 goals away from reaching his target of 1,000 career goals.
The 41-year-old opened the scoring in the 23rd minute at Al-Awwal Park in Riyadh. He reacted quickly to a rebound after goalkeeper Waleed Abdullah parried a shot from Al-Nassr winger Kingsley Coman.
Ronaldo finished from close range to give Al-Nassr the lead. It was his 980th career goal for club and country, bringing him closer to the milestone he has spoken about wanting to reach.
Samú Costa doubled Al-Nassr’s advantage in the 35th minute, heading in from a João Félix corner. Coman then scored the third goal in the 77th minute to complete the 3–0 victory.
The result moved Al-Nassr to 19 points, level with Saudi Pro League leaders Al-Qadsiah at the time, although Al-Nassr remained second in the standings.
The goal also marked Ronaldo’s return to club football following a difficult international break with Portugal. He left the national team camp after being left out of the lineup against Norway and learning he would not start against Denmark. The incident raised questions about his relationship with Portugal coach Jorge Jesus, although Portuguese football authorities have since indicated that the door remains open for his return.
Ronaldo has continued to pursue the 1,000-goal milestone as he plays for Al-Nassr and Portugal. With 980 goals now recorded, he needs another 20 to reach the mark. However, when he will reach it remains uncertain.
For now, his goal against Diriyah has brought him another step closer to a milestone that has become one of the biggest talking points of the later stages of his career.
