Cristiano Ronaldo is on track to reach an unprecedented scoring milestone but when he could hit his 1,000th goal? Between the Lines returns for a bonus edition to break down the numbers.
Ronaldo set yet another scoring record when he became the outright top scorer in World Cup qualifying history with his double in Portugal's 2-2 draw against Hungary on Tuesday night.
The goals put him on 41 from 51 World Cup qualifying games, moving him clear of the previous record-holder, former Guatemala striker Carlos Ruiz on 39, with Lionel Messi third in the list on 36.
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Ronaldo has now scored a record 143 goals in 225 games for his country in addition to 805 in 1,068 games at club level, putting him on a staggering combined total of 948 career goals.
Ronaldo turned 40 in February but he continues to rack up impressive numbers at club level as well as internationally, albeit against weaker opposition in Saudi Arabia, where he has scored 104 goals in 117 appearances across four seasons with Al-Nassr.
With 32 goals already for club and country in 2025, he is maintaining a remarkably consistent level of productivity in front of goal. Ronaldo has averaged more than 50 goals per calendar year since 2010.
His highest scoring year came in 2013, when he smashed 69 goals and won the Ballon d'Or. Amazingly, his total has only dipped below 39 goals once in a calendar year in the last decade and a half.
It seems there's a lot more to come from him too.
With Portugal set to qualify for next summer's World Cup, and with two years to go on his Al-Nassr contract, Ronaldo is projected to become the first player in recorded history to reach the 1,000-goal mark in October 2026 based on his current scoring rate.
Ronaldo's 948 goals broken down
Ronaldo's opening goal against Hungary was his 181st with his weaker left foot. His second was his 608th with his right.
His double demonstrated his all-round threat attacking threat and Ronaldo is of course similarly dangerous aerially, with 157 of his goals, roughly 17 per cent, having come with his head.
His goals have been split relatively evenly between home and away and neutral venues. His tally includes 178 penalties but he has also scored 135 times from outside the box, including 64 direct free-kicks.
By competition, the biggest share of his goals has come in LaLiga, where he scored 311 times across nine seasons with Real Madrid.
He remains the top scorer in Champions League history with 140 goals and also found the net 103 times across two spells in the Premier League with Manchester United.
His favourite opponents, in terms of which sides he has scored the most goals against, are all based in Spain, with Sevilla, in particular, grateful to have seen the back of him.
Ronaldo smashed 27 goals in just 18 appearances against the Andalucian side, with Real Madrid's bitter rivals Atletico and Barcelona also featuring high up in the list.
Tottenham rank as his favourite English opponent, with Ronaldo having scored 14 times in 20 games against them, while Luxembourg are his favourite opponent internationally.
On 948 and counting, Ronaldo's quest for 1,000 goals continues.
On the subject of goalscoring, Monday's Between the Lines looked at England's reliance on Harry Kane and the worrying lack of other options. Where are all the English No 9s?
