Al-Sahlawi outlines Ronaldo’s path to football’s 1,000-goal milestone

Mohamed Al-Sahlawi has imagined how Cristiano Ronaldo could score the 1,000th goal of his career, suggesting the Al Nassr captain should reach the landmark in a defining match.

Ronaldo has scored 985 goals at the time of writing, leaving him 15 short of becoming the first player in football history to reach 1,000. If the Portugal forward achieves the feat, it will come with Al Nassr during the current season, particularly after he announced his retirement from international football on Thursday.

Al-Sahlawi said he would like Ronaldo to complete the milestone in the final of the AFC Champions League Elite.

“I hope Ronaldo scores his 1,000th goal in the AFC Champions League Elite final,” Al-Sahlawi told the Nadina programme on MBC 1.

The former Al Nassr striker then offered an alternative scenario if Ronaldo does not reach the landmark in the continental final.

“If the goal does not come in the final and instead arrives in the Roshn Saudi League, I hope it is scored in a decisive match, regardless of the opponent, so that it will never be forgotten,” he added.

Ronaldo has won only one official trophy since joining Al Nassr in January 2023. That success came in the Roshn Saudi League last season, ending a seven-year wait for the club to win the competition.

The 40-year-old is targeting two major achievements before the end of his career: reaching 1,000 goals as an individual and helping Al Nassr win the AFC Champions League Elite for the first time in the Riyadh club’s history.

Ronaldo’s next fixtures listed are Portugal’s Nations League – Path 1 meeting with Denmark on 14 November 2026, followed by Al Nassr’s Roshn Saudi League match against Al Qadsiah on 20 November 2026.