Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Cristiano Ronaldo has set his sights on two defining objectives for the twilight of his international career: reaching 1,000 career goals and helping Portugal win a third UEFA Nations League title. The 41-year-old captain made the declaration on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, at the Portugal Football Summit, held at the Portuguese Football Federation headquarters in Oeiras, on the eve of Portugal's Nations League opener against Wales in Lisbon. Ronaldo, who now has 979 career goals, needs just 21 more to reach the millennium mark he has openly pursued for years. Of those 979 goals, 833 have come for clubs and 146 for Portugal.
Asked whether winning the Nations League or reaching four figures mattered more, Ronaldo grinned and chose both. "One goal is to achieve both, reaching 1,000 goals and the national team trying to win this Nations League," he said. "It's a new era with manager Jorge Jesus, whom we all know well; I just hope things go well for him." He described the prospect of scoring his 1,000th goal in Portugal colours as "the icing on the cake," adding, "Scoring my 1,000th goal for the national team would be the culmination of something, a beautiful story. It wouldn't be the end of it, but it would be a beautiful story."
Ronaldo, who turns 42 in February, will win his 234th cap against Wales on Thursday, September 24, 2026, at the Jose Alvalade Stadium, the home of his first club, Sporting CP. Portugal head coach Jorge Jesus confirmed that Ronaldo will start the fixture. The match marks the beginning of a new chapter for Portugal, with Jesus replacing Roberto Martinez after the team's World Cup campaign ended in the round of 16 against eventual champions Spain in July. Ronaldo acknowledged that he considered retiring from international football after that disappointment. "Yes, I did," he said. "Of course, I'm always thinking on my decisions, my future, the present also. I'm a thinker. You have to think. This is why you see me here now. It means I will continue." He said conversations with the Portuguese Football Federation president and the new coach convinced him that he could still contribute. "I still believe that I'm able to help the national team to reach what they want, and will finish when I feel like I'm not doing anything here," he said.
Ronaldo was emphatic that his pursuit of 1,000 goals is not an obsession. "I've already admitted that I want to get there, and I will get there," he said. "An obsession? No. I never do things obsessively, because if I do, things don't turn out the way I want. The rest is about enjoying it, enjoying every day." He added that he has learnt to live in the moment. "I learnt something from my late 30s onwards, which is to live in the moment, don't think about tomorrow," he said. Pressed on when he might retire, he refused to draw a clear line. "Is it possible? Yes. Highly likely? Yes. But will it happen? No, I don't know."
The captain also addressed the criticism he has faced throughout his career. "I've been playing football for so many years, I have been welcome almost everywhere, apart from a few exceptions," he said. "I feel the Portuguese fans like me, but I do understand that some TV channels want to criticise me. They've tried to kill me, but only with a shotgun. They are dying for me not to come to the national team anymore, but I can still move away from it." He added that he remains motivated by the younger generation of Portuguese players. "This is a new young generation," he said. "But for me the basic point is to be on the pitch to score the goals and to help the team win games. I know why young kids love Cristiano, because they see me as an example, and I will continue to do that. Even when I am retired, in 10 years."
Ronaldo's presence in the squad has generated debate in Portugal, with a poll in the newspaper A Bola showing that readers did not select him in their preferred starting XI for the Wales match. Ronaldo said he was unfazed. "I'm happy with myself," he said. "It doesn't matter if I play tomorrow, if I rest the next game. For me, the most important thing is that I feel good." Portugal coach Jorge Jesus described Ronaldo as "a symbol of Portugal and the national team" and confirmed that the captain will start against Wales. Portugal are defending the Nations League title they won in 2025, having also won the inaugural edition in 2019. A third title would further cement Ronaldo's legacy as one of the most decorated players in the history of the competition.
Ronaldo's pursuit of 1,000 goals has been a subject of global fascination for years. He reached 900 career goals in September 2024 and has continued scoring at a remarkable rate for both Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League and the Portuguese national team. The 21 goals he needs to reach four figures could come within the current season if he maintains his scoring form. Whether he achieves the milestone in a Portugal shirt remains to be seen, but his determination to continue representing his country at 41 years old reflects a competitive drive that has defined his career. For now, Ronaldo's focus is on Thursday's match against Wales and the start of a new era under Jorge Jesus, with the dual objectives of a Nations League triumph and a place in football history firmly in his sights.
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