Ronaldo and Messi Close In on 1,000 Career Goals in New GOAT Race

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are approaching another landmark in careers already defined by record-breaking longevity, with both players now within sight of 1,000 senior goals for club and country.

Two long-running careers enter a new race

Ronaldo, 41, has continued to score for Al-Nassr at the beginning of the 2026-27 season and is nearing 980 goals across his professional and international career. His 146 goals for Portugal include strikes recorded during the 2026 World Cup, where he again represented his country.

The Portugal captain has maintained his output in Saudi Arabia while adding domestic trophies and Golden Boot awards. His present Al-Nassr agreement is due to finish in the summer of 2027, although there has been discussion of a further extension.

Messi is not far behind, with the 39-year-old closing on 930 career goals. He returned to Inter Miami after Argentina’s World Cup campaign, having appeared in a third World Cup final before ending his international career.

The Argentine finished with 207 caps and 125 goals for his national team. He remains under contract in South Florida until 2028, having collected MLS Cup success and consecutive MLS MVP awards during his time in the United States.

The landmarks in view

• Ronaldo is approaching 980 goals for club and country.
• Messi is closing in on 930 senior goals in total.
• Ronaldo has scored 146 times for Portugal and played at the 2026 World Cup aged 41.
• Messi concluded his Argentina career on 207 appearances and 125 goals.
• Ronaldo’s current Al-Nassr deal runs until summer 2027.
• Messi is contracted to Inter Miami through 2028.

Former players expect both to reach four figures

Former Premier League and MLS goalkeeper Shaka Hislop believes the prospect of both players passing 1,000 goals would suit a rivalry that has shaped modern football. He said the pair had “defined a generation” and noted that neither Ronaldo nor Messi appears to be slowing down.

Hislop added that two players reaching the four-figure mark would be an appropriate reflection of their shared standing in the game, given the remarkable scoring numbers they have produced over such a sustained period.

Giuseppe Rossi, a former Manchester United colleague of Ronaldo who also played in MLS, was less certain that Messi would be closely monitoring Ronaldo’s progress. Rossi suggested that the two have different relationships with the game, but still expects Messi to reach 1,000 within the next three years because of the time remaining on his Inter Miami contract.

Rivalry continues across Saudi Arabia and MLS

Wesley Sneijder, who departed Real Madrid in the same 2009 summer that Ronaldo arrived at the Bernabeu, sees the 1,000-goal mark as the next objective for both players. He believes Ronaldo will not stop before getting there and expects Messi’s new two-year arrangement to provide sufficient time for him to do the same.

Sneijder said it remains striking that the rivalry continues with Ronaldo playing in Saudi Arabia and Messi in MLS. He even suggested that assists could become the next statistical contest, with the possibility of measuring which player might first reach 2,000 combined goals and assists.

Neither player has much left to prove after their respective World Cup, Champions League, domestic-title and individual-award achievements. The remaining question is how long they can continue to withstand the physical demands of elite football, but Ronaldo and Messi have both shown a desire to keep playing for as long as possible.