When Cristiano Ronaldo declared that he was targeting 1,000 professional senior goals (before even cracking 900) he scoffed at suggestions that the likes of Pelé and Romário had already achieved the feat in the sepia-tinged era of old.

“All the goals I have scored, they have video,” he stressed. Yet, even now there is still room for controversy when counting Ronaldo’s strikes.

A perfect hat trick for Al Nassr against mid-table Al Kholood took Ronaldo’s tally, in the eyes of most, to 985 career goals. However, debate has emerged about number 982.

Al Nassr’s skipper wheeled away to celebrate a glancing header against Al Faisaly at the end of October. Yet, even the word “glancing” may be misleading. Closer inspection of the footage struggles to reveal how much of a touch—if any—Ronaldo managed to get on João Félix’s looping delivery. While the Saudi Pro League hurriedly proclaimed Ronaldo’s achievement, revered data provider Opta credited Al Faisaly’s Andrei Girotto with an own goal.

Cristiano Ronaldo goal number 982 ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/4yV8r6iJMY

— Roshn Saudi League (@SPL_EN) October 23, 2026

According to the source of stats for almost every major league and broadcaster on the planet, Ronaldo has scored just seven league goals this season, rather than the eight Al Nassr have credited him with. That slender margin of difference could become a very hot topic when Ronaldo does close in on his inevitable millennium of goals.

This would not be his first counting controversy.

The Real Madrid Goal Cristiano Ronaldo Didn’t Score

Back in October 2015, Real Madrid hailed Ronaldo as the outright all-time top scorer in the club’s history with 324 goals. There was a ceremony in the Bernabéu’s “box of honor” while the prolific forward was given a special trophy of a silver boot. The only issue was that everyone else thought he had equaled Raúl González’s record of 323.

The discrepancy had occured more than half a decade earlier, when Ronaldo leathered a free kick off Pepé’s back against Real Sociedad. The Real Madrid team huddled around their pouting No. 7 who claimed a goal which Opta and everyone else gave to Pepe. In fairness, even the center back didn’t want it.

“Regardless of what the official match report says, the goal belongs to Cristiano,” Pepe insisted, presumably with Ronaldo glowering over his shoulder. “The ball hit me and then went in, but the credit should go to the player who took the free kick.

“When we are talking about that goal, I absolutely do not have a problem in awarding it to him. The ball went in and he deserves the credit for it.”

Despite the best efforts of Real Madrid, Ronaldo ended his spell in Spain’s capital with 450 goals, rather than 451. Al Nassr are adopting a similar propaganda strategy but may face the same scrutiny.