If Not for Manchester United, Ronaldo Might Have Already Reached 1,000 Goals
Closing 2025 in Ronaldo’s Style
Cristiano Ronaldo ended 2025 exactly the way fans expect—by scoring. His brace against Al Okhdood sealed a 3–0 victory for Al Nassr and pushed his career tally to 956 goals. With 40 goals scored this year alone, Ronaldo marked his 14th season reaching the 40‑goal milestone, a feat that defies the norms of elite football. Yet from this impressive number arises a provocative question: had it not been for his return to Manchester United, would Ronaldo already have crossed the mythical 1,000‑goal threshold?
The Manchester United Detour
Between 2021 and early 2023, Ronaldo’s second spell at Old Trafford yielded 27 goals—24 in the 2021/22 season and just 3 in the first half of 2022/23. For a player aged 36–37, those numbers were respectable. But for Ronaldo, they represented one of the least prolific stretches of his career.
The issue was not his finishing ability or physical condition. Rather, it was the tactical environment. United at the time lacked stability, cycling through managers and failing to build a system around him. Ronaldo became both a symbol and a stopgap solution, but no longer the absolute centerpiece as he had been at Real Madrid or Juventus.
The consequence was clear: he kept scoring, but at a rate far below his usual standards. Compared to his previous clubs, 27 goals in 1.5 seasons was unusually modest.
Loss of Rhythm and Inspiration
By the first half of 2022/23, under Erik ten Hag, Ronaldo managed only 3 goals. His confidence dipped, and even after moving to Al Nassr mid‑season, he scored just 14 more. That year was marked by frustration and a lack of joy on the pitch.
Yet the summer of 2024 changed everything. Free from the weight of Manchester, Ronaldo rediscovered his spark. In the 2023/24 season—his first full campaign in Saudi Arabia—he exploded with 50 goals. The contrast spoke volumes: the environment mattered as much as his talent.
Calculating the “Lost Goals”
Had Ronaldo maintained a conservative average of 40 goals per season during his United stint, he could have added roughly 60 goals instead of 27. And if his second half of 2022/23 had matched his true form, he might have scored 25 rather than 14. Altogether, the Manchester chapter cost him about 44 goals—the exact number he now needs to reach 1,000.
In other words, United did not break Ronaldo, but they slowed his march toward history. It was the price of an emotional return that clashed with tactical reality and timing.
The Road Ahead: 2026 and Beyond
What remains remarkable is not the goals he “should have had,” but the fact that at 40 years old, Ronaldo is still chasing milestones with relentless consistency. In 2025 alone, he scored 40 times, including 12 goals in just 10 Saudi Pro League matches. His fitness is nearly flawless, the product of strict training, disciplined lifestyle, and an obsession with performance.
No longer reliant on youthful pace, Ronaldo thrives on positioning, one‑touch finishing, headers, and reading the game—qualities immune to age. Since leaving Europe, his scoring numbers have not declined; they have risen.
With 956 goals already, he needs only 44 more. At his current rhythm, the historic 1,000‑goal mark could be achieved in 2026. Had Manchester not intervened, he might have reached it already. But even with the delay, the narrative remains unchanged: football history is simply pausing briefly, waiting for Cristiano Ronaldo to complete one of the greatest journeys the sport has ever seen.
