“23 goals remaining? Good luck”

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has wished Cristiano Ronaldo luck as the Portugal captain moves ever so close to becoming the first player to score 1000 goals for club and country.

Ronaldo, 41, made his season debut for Al-Nassr last week in a 4-0 home win over Al-Riyadh in the Saudi Pro League. Coming on as a second-half substitute, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner scored seven minutes from time to round off the scoring.

That took him to 130 goals for the Knights of Najd and 977 overall for club and country, moving to within 23 strikes of reaching four figures, a landmark he could reach next year.

During a brief meeting with the FIFA president at the Esports World Cup in Paris, Ronaldo greeted Infantino (as per BOLA VIP):

“How are you?”

Infantino responded, referring to Ronaldo’s approaching landmark:

“23 goals remaining? Good luck!”

Ronaldo’s closest challenger in the all-time list is Lionel Messi, who’s two years younger and has scored 923 times during his illustrious career. The Argentine plies his club football for Inter Miami in MLS, arriving at the Herons in the summer of 2023 on a free transfer after nearly two decades in European football.

What’s next for Cristiano Ronaldo?

Cristiano Ronaldo is coming off a decent campaign at what was likely his sixth and final appearance at the FIFA World Cup. The 41-year-old bagged three goals in five games in the 2026 edition in North America as Portugal lost to eventual champions Spain 1-0 in the Round of 16.

Following an extended vacation, Ronaldo missed most of Al-Nassr‘s pre-season and didn’t feature in the 3-0 home win over Al-Fateh in their opening Saudi Pro League game.

Cristiano Ronaldo also didn’t make the matchday squad in the 4-1 win at Diriyah in the King Cup of Champions Round of 32. New boss Ange Postecoglou handed Ronaldo his season debut last week in the league victory at Al-Riyadh.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner is expected to feature in the Knights of Najd’s Saudi Pro League trip to Al-Ettifaq on Tuesday (August 25) as Postecoglou’s side seek to continue their perfect start to their title-defence campaign.

Edited by Bhargav