Cristiano Ronaldo (41, Al Nassr) recently made headlines after an unauthorized departure from the Portugal national team. Upon returning to his club, he found the back of the net, notching his 980th career goal. He’s now just 20 goals shy of the coveted 1,000-goal milestone.
On October 10, Ronaldo opened the scoring in the 23rd minute during the 8th round of the 2026-27 Saudi Pro League. The match, held at Al Awal Park in Saudi Arabia, saw Al Nassr cruise to a 3-0 victory over Al-Diriya.
Ronaldo’s goal came on the heels of the controversy surrounding his unexpected exit from the national team camp.
The Portuguese star had been called up for the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Nations League matches in September and October. However, after being benched in the game against Norway, he left the team’s training camp without notice.
The root of the issue was a disagreement with coach Jorge Jesus over playing time.
Ronaldo claimed he was promised about 30 minutes of play in the Norway match, but the coach denied any such agreement.
While Ronaldo hasn’t ruled out retiring from the national team, he completed the four-match series without making any additional appearances.
Upon his return to Al Nassr, Ronaldo wasted no time in showcasing his scoring prowess, almost as if to make a statement.
This latest goal brings Ronaldo’s combined tally for club and country to 980, leaving him just 20 goals short of the remarkable 1,000-goal target.
For Portugal, Ronaldo has netted 146 times in international play. His most recent goal for the national team came in last month’s World Cup qualifier against Croatia.
Throughout his illustrious club career, Ronaldo has found the net 5 times for Sporting CP (Portugal), 145 times for Manchester United (England), 450 times for Real Madrid (Spain), 101 times for Juventus (Italy). He’s currently sitting on 133 goals for Al Nassr (Saudi Arabia).