Ronaldo’s 1,000-goal ambition now rests solely with Al Nassr

Cristiano Ronaldo’s decision to retire from international football has ended his hopes of reaching the 1,000-goal milestone in a Portugal shirt.

The Al Nassr forward and Portugal captain announced his retirement on Thursday, despite having previously indicated that he wanted to continue representing his country. His decision follows that of his long-time rival Lionel Messi, who announced his own international retirement about a month ago.

Ronaldo had spoken publicly about his ambitions in September, appearing at a news conference before Portugal’s UEFA Nations League match against Wales. He said he intended to remain involved with the national team in pursuit of two further achievements.

“My goal is to score the 1,000th goal of my career and win the UEFA Nations League,” Ronaldo said.

When asked which shirt he would most like to be wearing when he reached 1,000 career goals, Ronaldo made clear that his preference was to achieve the landmark with Portugal.

His international retirement means that goal can now only be completed while wearing the colours of Al Nassr. Ronaldo will therefore continue his pursuit of the record exclusively at club level, with his next listed Saudi Pro League fixture coming against Al Hazm on 06 November 2026.

Portugal, meanwhile, are scheduled to face Denmark in the UEFA Nations League – first path on 14 November 2026. Ronaldo’s withdrawal means he will no longer be available for that match or for Portugal’s subsequent fixtures.

The forward’s decision also brings an unexpected conclusion to a stated international objective. Having identified both the 1,000-goal mark and another UEFA Nations League title as targets in September, he will now be unable to pursue the latter with Portugal and can only continue towards the scoring milestone at Al Nassr.