Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi pursue 1,000 career goals

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are both pursuing the historic milestone of 1,000 career professional goals.

As of late August 2026, Ronaldo leads the race with 978 goals in 1,333 matches, meaning he requires 22 more goals to reach the four-digit mark. Messi follows with 927 goals in 1,171 appearances, requiring 73 more goals to achieve the same feat. While Ronaldo is closer to the total, Messi maintains a slightly higher average of goals per match and has played 162 fewer games than the Portuguese striker.