Cristiano Ronaldo has already been suggested to retire when he has scored 1,000 career goals, which is something that nobody was ever willing to consider. It was Rene Meulensteen, the Portuguese superstar’s coach in his Manchester United years, and speaking to BetVictor, that the advice was necessary and that such a record-breaking achievement would provide the perfect platform on which he could say goodbye.
Should it occur to Portugal, it would be even more dramatic, Meulensteen imagined, putting himself in the position of the goalkeeper confronting the possibly historic shot of Ronaldo. You would almost need to open the door because you will be remembered as the man who gave in to Cristiano’s 1,000th goal.
At the age of 40, the Al Nassr forward is still pursuing history with a pace that Meulensteen describes as incredibly fast and unmatched. Nonetheless, Ronaldo is still included in the list of the most prolific scorers in the world, even at 37, and he has already signed his contract in Saudi Arabia until 2027.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup would be an ideal setting for the milestone, and fans hope it will be the last time they see classic rivals Ronaldo versus Messi. Meulensteen believes that after the attainment of the 1,000-goal milestone, it would be the final bow of a career that has already rewritten the definition of football greatness.
