Ronaldo's former teammate explains why he will definitely beat Messi to 1000-goal milestone

Al Qadsiah defender Nacho Fernandez has backed his former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo to achieve his historic pursuit of 1,000 career goals, praising the veteran forward's enduring passion for the sport.

The 41-year-old Portugal international is currently chasing an unprecedented scoring milestone while representing Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League.

Nacho, who shared a dressing room with the prolific striker during a successful tenure at Real Madrid, recently faced off against his old colleague in the Saudi top flight.  

The Spain international noted that Ronaldo's psychological drive remains completely intact despite his age.  

"He won't stop, for sure, knowing him as we know him... His life is about breaking records, which is incredible; it seems like no, no, no, and in the end he achieves everything he sets out to do," Nacho explained.

"It is admirable that, at 41 years old, he continues to compete, that he maintains that passion since the first day, with so many games, so many trips, so much time away from home; it is admirable. And to continue with the same passion as when he started, aged only five," he added.

As of July 2026, Ronaldo has recorded 976 goals across 1330 official career appearances for club and country.  

Nacho believes the forward will bridge the 24-goal gap before considering retirement.

"He won't stop until he reaches 1,000 goals," Nacho insisted. "In these last years, I have played against him, and it's incredible, the ability he has to wake up every morning and continue to compete.

“It is a testament to his character that his passion hasn't faded even after winning everything there is to win," he concluded.  

Ronaldo signed a two-year contract extension in June 2025, committing his future to Al Nassr until the summer of 2027.  

He is regarded as one of the most decorated players in history during his stints with Sporting, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus, and Al-Nassr. 

Over his phenomenal 24-year professional career, he secured 146 goals for the Portugal national team, which stands as the all-time international scoring record.  

He recently helped Al Nassr secure the Saudi Pro League title during the recently concluded 2025/26 campaign, underscoring the continued importance of his goalscoring.