Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have had a great 2025, where both were crowned champions during the year, with great performances. They also stood out individually, managing to enter the top ten of the highest goalscorers in 2025, leaving the race to 1,000 goals more alive than ever heading into 2026.
To achieve the milestone of being the first player in the history of soccer to reach the 1,000 goals mark, it is Ronaldo who holds the advantage and it seems that he will be the one in charge of setting this record in 2026.
The Al Nassr captain scored a brace in the victory against Al Akhdoud for the Saudi Pro League, and then scored in the draw against Al Ettifaq for the last match of 2025. In this way, Ronaldo scored 41 goals this year and has 957 goals in his professional career, leaving him only 43 goals away from setting a new record in the sport.
On the side of Lionel Messi, the Argentine also had an incredible year with eye-popping numbers where he recorded 46 goals in 2025 across all competitions, thus totaling 896 goals in his professional career. The Inter Miami captain is the only direct competitor to the Portuguese in the race to 1,000 goals, which seems to have its conclusion in 2026.
Lionel Messi #10 of Inter Miami CF celebrates after scoring a goal. (Getty Images)
Despite recording impressive numbers in 2025, they remained far behind Kylian Mbappe in the year’s scoring charts. The Real Madrid forward dominated the nets, recording 66 goals across all competitions and finishing as the year’s top goalscorer.
Ronaldo and Messi’s primary objectives for 2026
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Cristiano Ronaldo finishes 2025 with no hat tricks: How many did Lionel Messi score this year?
Looking ahead to 2026, Cristiano Ronaldo enters the year with a clear set of high-stakes goals. At 40 years old, and having frequently hinted at his eventual retirement, the Portuguese icon is likely facing his final opportunity to capture the one trophy that has eluded him: the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Leading Portugal into North America, Ronaldo will aim to secure the ultimate prize for his country after a lifetime of record-breaking success.
Beyond the international stage, Ronaldo remains hungry for his first official piece of silverware with Al Nassr. Since arriving in Saudi Arabia in late 2022, he has yet to lift an official trophy. While he led the club to an Arab Club Champions Cup victory in 2023, that tournament is classified as an exhibition by FIFA and the AFC.
On the other side of the legendary rivalry, Lionel Messi heads into 2026 at age 38 with a historic mission of his own. The Inter Miami captain is expected to lead Argentina as they defend their 2022 World Cup crown in what will likely be his final tournament appearance.
In doing so, Messi will join Ronaldo in a historic feat: becoming the only players in the history of the sport to feature in six different World Cups. For the Argentine maestro, 2026 is about more than just records; it’s a chance to go out on top as a back-to-back world champion.
