Former Manchester City striker, Sergio Aguero, believes Cristiano Ronaldo can become one of the few players to reach 1,000 official senior career goals, with the Al-Nassr forward needing 21 more goals to reach the landmark.
Ronaldo moved to 979 career goals after scoring in Al-Nassr’s 2-1 victory over Abha earlier this month, putting the Portuguese star within sight of a milestone he has continued to pursue in the latter stages of his career.
Although Ronaldo’s plans beyond the current Saudi Pro League season remain unclear, Aguero believes the 41-year-old has enough time to complete the feat.
“I don’t know how much longer (he) will play, but he only needs another 21 goals. He can certainly do it. I don’t know what his plans are when the league season finishes or whether he’ll continue for another season. Scoring goals obviously isn’t easy, but he does it regularly.”
The Argentine compared Ronaldo’s consistency in front of goal with that of Lionel Messi, saying another season could give the Al-Nassr forward enough opportunities to reach four figures.
“He’s like Leo: whenever he’s on the pitch, there’s a good chance he’ll score. If he stays for another season, I think he can achieve (1000 goals).”
Aguero also suggested that Ronaldo’s proximity to the landmark could influence his decision to extend his career beyond the current campaign.
“I don’t know whether he intends to continue, but because he’s so close, he’ll probably try. If I were Cristiano, I’d think: ‘That’s it, I have no choice but to carry on for another year.’ Then we’ll see whether it happens.”
The former Argentina international, however, stressed that Ronaldo’s career numbers are already remarkable, regardless of whether he eventually reaches 1,000 goals.
“He should still be incredibly proud because that number of goals is almost impossible. The same applies to Leo. Their numbers are incomparable.”
Meanwhile, Messi has continued to add to his own impressive tally, with the Argentine reaching 930 official career goals this week at the age of 39.
The figures have kept the two football icons at the centre of a remarkable goalscoring comparison as both players enter the later stages of their careers.
