20 hours ago
7
Cristiano Ronaldo could face a deduction of six goals from his career tally due to a tournament not currently recognized by FIFA.
 |
|
Al Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after scoring against Al Najma in the Saudi Pro League on April 3, 2026. Photo by Al Nassr |
The Portuguese superstar recently increased his reported goalscoring record to 967 following a brace in a 5-2 win against Al Najma in the Saudi Pro League.
However, controversy started when some football sites argued that his actual official tally stands at 961.
The argument centers around six goals Ronaldo scored during the 2023 Arab Club Champions Cup.
FIFA has not officially recognized these specific goals, reportedly considering the competition to be a pre-season friendly tournament.
Transfermarkt, one of the world's leading football statistics organizations, currently records Ronaldo's official goal tally at 961.
The Arab Club Champions Cup is a regional tournament contested between clubs from the Arab world. It boasts a history dating back to 1981 and was held continuously until 2008 before experiencing periods of suspension and revivals in recent years.
On April 7, Transfermarkt's representative in Portugal, Goncalo Tristao Santos, addressed the ongoing issue.
"The six goals we didn't count for Ronaldo were scored in a tournament held in the 2023-2024 season," Santos told Portuguese newspaper A Bola. "The problem is that this tournament is not recognized by FIFA. We only consider officially recognized tournaments."
When asked if FIFA had sought clarification on the matter, Santos confirmed that they had not. He added that the ideal solution would be for FIFA to officially address the issue themselves. Otherwise, he warned that the controversy will continue when Ronaldo approaches the historic 1,000-goal milestone.
To guarantee reaching the undisputed four-digit mark across all record books, Ronaldo will need to score at least 1,006 goals.
This season, he has a maximum of 10 matches remaining with Al Nassr, alongside eight upcoming matches with the Portugal national team.
It’s most likely that he will need to continue playing into the 2026-2027 season to reach his target.
Throughout his career, Ronaldo has scored a record 143 goals for the Portugal national team.
At the club level, his tally includes five goals for Sporting CP, 145 for Manchester United, a club-record 450 for Real Madrid, 101 for Juventus and 123 for Al Nassr.
