"I considered retiring, but I'll continue": Ronaldo Stays with National Team, 21 Goals Short of 1,000, With 146 International Goals

Ronaldo admitted he considered retiring from international football but said he will stay with the national team. He has 979 career goals, 21 short of 1,000, and his goal is a third Nations League title.

Translated from Korean with AI assistance. Read the original. Sources and original publication dates are retained.

Of the 979 goals, 146 goals came for the Portugal national team. That is the national team's share of Cristiano Ronaldo's career goals (as of 11:00 on 2026.09.24). That works out to 14.9%. By the same measure, he is 21 goals short of 1,000. If he leaves the national team, one stage on which to score those 21 goals disappears.

Ronaldo was born on February 5, 1985, and is 41 this year. He plays for Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League, and his contract has been extended through June 2027. After debuting at Sporting CP in 2002, he went on to play for Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus. He scored 450 goals for Real Madrid alone.

Ronaldo Admits Considering Retirement… On September 23: "I'm staying with the national team"

According to Sky Sports, Ronaldo made the public remarks ahead of the Nations League match against Wales on September 23 local time. He admitted that he had considered retiring from the national team after the 2026 World Cup. Even so, he decided to stay with the national team. Yonhap News reported the same remarks dated the 24th, Korean time. Because of the time difference, only the date differs; the remarks came at the same event.

According to Yonhap News, Ronaldo said he talked with the federation president and the head coach. His own view is that he can contribute to the national team not only with goals but also with roles off the pitch. AS reported that his remarks that day were: "I have two goals. To score my 1,000th goal and to win the Nations League with Portugal."

Ronaldo 21 Goals Short of 1,000: 833 of His 979 Career Goals Came for Clubs

The Saudi Pro League confirmed Ronaldo's 979th goal from match footage of Al Nassr versus Abha on September 9. Subtracting 979 from 1,000 leaves 21 goals. This matches the figure in Yonhap News's report. The reference time is 11:00 on 2026.09.24.

Breakdown of Ronaldo's Career Goals (as of 11:00 on 2026.09.24)

Category	Goals	Share	Source
Club official matches	833	85.1%	Yonhap News tally
Portugal international matches	146	14.9%	UEFA
Total senior official matches	979	100%	Saudi Pro League
Goals remaining to 1,000	21	—	1,000−979 calculation

The 833 club goals were reported as a figure Yonhap News tallied directly. It equals the official total of 979 goals minus the 146 national team goals. However, it is not a figure independently verified by adding up each club's official records one by one. The 979 goals are a combined record of club and national team goals.

233 Portugal Internationals, 146 Goals… Chasing a Third Nations League Title

UEFA figures put Ronaldo's international record at 233 matches and 146 goals (as of 11:00 on 2026.09.24). That is the most goals ever scored by a men's national team player. Dividing 146 goals by 233 matches gives about 0.63 goals per match. If he plays against Wales, it will be his 234th international match.

The goal-scoring introduction page on the Portuguese Football Federation's official store lists 233 matches and 146 goals in the title, but 226 matches and 143 goals in the body text. That is a difference of 7 matches and 3 goals. Because the material carries no publication date, it was judged to be less up to date. The key records are based on dated UEFA material and the latest reports.

Portugal has already won the Nations League twice, in 2019 and 2025. In the final on June 8, 2025, they drew 2-2 with Spain after extra time and then won 5-3 on penalties. The goal Ronaldo has set this time is a third title. He has voiced his determination to score 1,000 goals, but he has not decided when he will reach that mark or when he will retire.

The 21 goals still needed to reach 1,000 and a third Nations League title: these two goals became his reasons for staying with the national team. It has also not been confirmed that he will step aside right after scoring his 1,000th goal. On September 23, Ronaldo summed up his decision briefly: "It means I will continue."

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Has Ronaldo's retirement from the national team been confirmed?

No. On September 23, 2026 local time, Ronaldo admitted he had considered retiring after the 2026 World Cup, but said he will continue with the national team. He has not set a retirement date either.

Q. How many goals does Ronaldo need to reach 1,000?

As of 11:00 on 2026.09.24, he has 979 career goals in senior official matches, so he is 21 goals short of 1,000. That figure combines club goals and Portugal international goals.

Q. What is Ronaldo's international record?

According to UEFA, it is 233 matches and 146 goals (as of 11:00 on 2026.09.24). That is the most goals ever scored by a men's national team player, and his average is about 0.63 goals per match.

Related Official Sites

UEFA Nations League official website — check Portugal's match schedule and tournament results
Saudi Pro League official website — check Al Nassr match records and goal videos
Real Madrid official Ronaldo profile — check his 450-goal record from his Real Madrid years

Featured image · Archive photo · Not an on-site photo of the current match in the article · Photo composite · Photo=Wikimedia Commons (Анна Нэсси), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Photo=Wikimedia Commons (Dagur Brynjólfsson), CC BY-SA 2.0