The idea of 1,000 goals in a football career sounds like a fantasy. Yet, late in 2025, two players, the greatest of their generation, are close enough for the question to feel serious rather than silly. One is 40 and still scoring almost a goal a game in Saudi Arabia, while the other is 38, running MLS like a personal playground. Cristiano Ronaldo for Al Nassr and Lionel Messi for Inter Miami(REUTERS/AFP) So the real question here is not who is better. It is colder than that: with age, contracts, and recent output all factored in, does either actually have a practical route to 1,000 official goals? Where the numbers stand now Cristiano Ronaldo: 953 goals in 1,296 games Lionel Messi: 892 goals in 1,132 games That leaves: Ronaldo needing 47 more to reach 1,000 Messi needing 108 more to reach 1,000 Their contract horizons matter just as much as the totals. Ronaldo has extended with Al Nassr until June 2027, taking him to the age of 42. Messi, meanwhile, has committed to Inter Miami …