Cristiano Ronaldo moves closer to 1,000 goals after surpassing Zlatan Ibrahimovic record

Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 977th career goal as he moved another step closer to reaching 1,000 goals for club and country, while also extending his record of scoring in consecutive seasons beyond Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s mark.

The Portugal captain came off the bench to score Al Nassr’s fourth goal in their win over Riyadh, continuing his remarkable scoring record despite making only his first appearance of the season.

Ronaldo was introduced in the 62nd minute, having been named as a substitute for Al Nassr’s opening league match against Al Fateh. He needed only 21 minutes after entering the game to make an impact, finding the net in the 83rd minute.

The goal took Ronaldo’s career total to 977, leaving him 23 short of becoming the first player in football history to score 1,000 goals in official matches.

It also marked the 25th consecutive season in which the 40-year-old has scored. Ronaldo has now moved clear of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who scored in 24 successive seasons between 1999 and 2023.

Ronaldo’s latest strike also strengthened his position among Al Nassr’s leading scorers in the Saudi Pro League. He has now scored 103 goals for the club in the competition, placing him level with Mohamed Al-Sahlawi at the top of Al Nassr’s all-time list.

The former Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus forward is fifth in the Saudi Pro League’s overall historical scoring rankings. Omar Al Somah leads the list with 162 goals, followed by Abderrazak Hamdallah on 156.

Nasser Al-Shamrani is third with 126 goals, while Al-Sahlawi is fourth on 105.

Ronaldo’s return to the scoresheet came after he began the campaign on the bench against Al Fateh. His appearance against Riyadh was therefore his first of the new season, and he immediately contributed to Al Nassr’s four-goal victory.

Al Nassr, the defending champions, will next face Al Ettifaq in the third round of the Saudi Pro League on Tuesday. Ronaldo will have another opportunity to reduce the gap to his long-term target of 1,000 official goals, having already established a new landmark by outscoring Ibrahimovic across consecutive seasons.

The Portuguese forward’s 977th goal keeps him within sight of a milestone no player has previously reached in official football matches.