Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates BOAT award with Al Nassr hat-trick, approaches 1000 goals

Cristiano Ronaldo is approaching a number that once seemed almost impossible to achieve. The Portuguese superstar took his career tally to 985 goals after he smashed a 15-minute hat-trick to fire Al Nassr to a 5-3 win over Al Kholood in the Saudi Pro League on Thursday.

With the match tied at 2-2 after an eventful first half, Ronaldo took matters into his own hands. He struck in the 66th and 72nd minutes before completing his treble in the 81st minute, giving Al Nassr the breathing space he needed. It was his seventh hat-trick for the club since joining in 2023.

Ronaldo had another reason to celebrate on Thursday. The 41-year-old was named winner of the inaugural BOAT (Ballon d’Or of All Time) award when he won the Ballon d’Or at Manchester United in 2008, beating Lionel Messi’s 2012 campaign in the fans’ vote. Of course, Ronaldo already has five official Ballon d’Or awards.

The latest treble leaves him just 15 goals away from the elusive 1,000 mark. And if there’s one thing Ronaldo has made clear over the years, it’s that he has no intention of slowing down just yet.

RONALDO 15 SHORT OF 1000 GOALS

With 985 goals, Ronaldo is within touching distance of the milestone he has openly talked about. In 2024, in an interview with former Manchester United team-mate Rio Ferdinand, he admitted that reaching 1,000 career goals was one of his biggest remaining ambitions, with fitness and staying injury-free key to achieving this.

Thursday’s performance also took his career hat-trick tally to 67. Real Madrid have seen the most, with Ronaldo hitting 44 trebles during his time in Spain. He also managed 10 for Portugal, seven for Al Nassr, three for Manchester United and three for Juventus.

Ronaldo’s goals also kept Al Nassr firmly on course to defend their Saudi Pro League title. They are level with leaders Al Qadsiah on 28 points but have played a game less. Meanwhile, Al Kholood remains tenth with 12 points.

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