After scoring a hat trick against Al-Kholood, Cristiano Ronaldo has officially reached 985 goals, putting him just 15 away from the mythical 1,000 mark.

As always, comparisons with Lionel Messi are inevitable, so here is the question: how many does the Argentine have, and how many does he need to catch CR7?

Messi, two years younger than Cristiano Ronaldo, could, in theory, have more time to match or surpass whatever the Portuguese player does, but everything depends on when he decides to say “goodbye.”

Lionel Messi’s Goals and the Number Needed to Catch Cristiano Ronaldo

The historic scoring competition between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo remains alive. The Argentine has accumulated 936 official goals in his professional career, while the Portuguese reached 985 goals this Thursday, Oct. 29.

With these figures, the Argentine captain needs 49 goals to match Cristiano Ronaldo’s current record, with the Portuguese still ahead. However, the distance could change, since both players remain active with their respective teams.

The Argentine star’s trajectory began to take shape at Barcelona, where he scored 672 goals and became its all-time top scorer. He later scored 32 goals for Paris Saint-Germain.

With Inter Miami, Messi has 106 goals, and with the Argentina national team, he has 126 more. Together, his four professional stages account for 936 goals.

Lionel Messi Has Time to Break More Records

At 39, the forward remains under contract with Inter Miami until the end of 2028. Although catching Cristiano will depend on his scoring output and how long he remains active, the 49-goal gap keeps the comparison between two of the most important figures in soccer history open.

MLS has grown in recent years, but a recurring problem in how many teams plan and build their rosters is defense. MLS, unfortunately, seems to be among the leagues with the worst defensive records.

Ultimately, that could benefit Messi if he stays in the league and honors his contract through 2028. If that happens, the Argentine will have plenty of afternoons and evenings in the United States to close the gap on Ronaldo, even if only slightly. That said, at this stage and at the level we’re talking about, a 49-goal gap isn’t all that significant.

Ronaldo will keep scoring goals, but who knows how much longer he’ll play, given he’s already 41.