Cristiano Ronaldo netted a brace as Al Nassr swept Al Hazem 4-0, a result that sent the Saudi club to the top of the Pro League table. The performance also pushed the 41-year-old’s personal tally to 964 career goals — just 36 away from the iconic 1,000-goal mark.

That night also brought another historic moment as Ronaldo became the first player in history to score 500 goals after the age of 30. To appreciate just how extraordinary that is, fewer than 30 players across the entire history of professional football have scored 500 goals in their careers.

Naturally, the question on everyone’s lips is when will the Portuguese superstar reach the four figures. And the most romantic possibility would be at this summer’s World Cup, hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. For Ronaldo, the tournament carries extra weight. By stepping onto the pitch, he will become the first player ever to appear in six World Cups, a milestone he’ll share with Argentine star Lionel Messi, though Ronaldo was already a centrepiece of Portugal’s 2006 campaign while Messi was still finding his feet at the senior level.

The prospect of goal No 1,000 arriving on the World Cup stage is the stuff of footballing fairy tales — and Ronaldo himself has acknowledged it during a recent interview. “You’ve been watching too many movies — that would be way too perfect,” he said, before adding: “Goals are always good to score. I want to play in this next World Cup; otherwise, I wouldn’t be here. But one step at a time. If those numbers did come true, I’d end my career on a high.”

From a practical standpoint, the math makes the World Cup milestone difficult. Between now and the tournament, Al Nassr are expected to play roughly 20 official matches, excluding friendlies and potential squad rotation. If Portugal make a deep run, Ronaldo could feature in up to seven or eight World Cup matches — giving him approximately 25 to 30 games before and during the tournament, assuming no injuries.

Impressive form

To reach 1,000 goals before or during the World Cup, Ronaldo would need to average at least one goal per game — possibly more. That requirement exceeds his current scoring rate of roughly 0.74 goals per match, according to ESPN stats.

His recent form is impressive but it also tempers expectations. Across his last 20 matches, he has scored 15 goals, but that doesn’t match the kind of explosive run required to close a 36-goal gap in such a short span.

Historically, Ronaldo has scored just eight goals across five World Cup tournaments, which further highlights the challenge. For the milestone to happen on football’s biggest stage, he would need an extraordinary run of form.

A more realistic projection lies in his typical yearly output. Ronaldo has averaged around 40 goals per calendar year throughout his career. Based on that trend, the most logical window for goal No. 1,000 appears to be late 2026 or early 2027 — rather than at the World Cup itself.

GN

The Winter Olympic Games are often described as Summer games’ weird, chaotic sibling. As the world’s greatest sporting showcase, they serve as a hub for stories as wonderful as they are bizarre. The Games always throw up the unexpected, and Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics has been no different. Take a glimpse to learn more:

Olympic Biathlon medal winner confesses cheating on girlfriend in candid statement

After winning bronze in the 20km individual biathlon, Norway’s Sturla Holm Laegreid confessed on TV to cheating on his girlfriend. Admitting to an affair, he called it his “my biggest mistake” and added it had been the worst week of his life since confessing to her. That same day, his ex-girlfriend wrote in Norwegian newspaper VG stating that she did not choose to be put in this public position.

Broken models

Broken models happened at Paris 24, and it happened again at Milan-Cortina 2026. Two of the USA’s gold medallists, Breezy Johnson and Alysa Liu, revealed the ribbon had come away from their medals soon after they received their prizes.

In this connection, Andea Francisci, Mila-Cortina 2026 chief Games operations officer said: “We are going to pay maximum attention to the medals. Obviously this is something we want to be perfect when the medal is handed over because this is one of the most important moments for the athletes.”

Controversy erupts after curlers accused of rule violations

The drama ignited when Canada’s Marc Kennedy became involved in a heated verbal exchange with Sweden’s Oskar Eriksson towards the end of his side’s 8-6 win. The Swedes contended that Kennedy was repeatedly double-touching some of his stones-an illegal move. That same day, Switzerland reported Kennedy for the same offense. World Curling then announced they would deploy extra officials for the remainder of the Games to monitor for such violations. Both incidents were deemed unintentional-the result of a veteran player accidentally making contact with the granite.

Is it a wolf or a dog?

During the Women’s cross-country team sprint qualifiers in Tesero, a large, silver-grey animal sprang onto the track. A Czechoslovakian Wolfdog had broken free of its owner and made its way onto the course, where it then chased a camera over the finish line.

In this regard: “ Konstantina Charalampiou said: “I became famous with a dog that came across the finish line and everyone wants to interview me now.”

The Minion in Milan

Spanish figure skater Tomas-Llorenc Guarino Sabate skated to a dynamic combination of music from the Minions animated film series, clad in a yellow T-shirt and blue dungarees to match the characters. Following negotiations with representatives for Pharell Willians-whose song Happy appears in Despicable Me 2 and was one of Sabate’s musical selections-an agreement was reached and he was granted permission to use the track.

Unsung heroes step into spotlight as video goes viral

Mark Callan, a resident of Montreal has become an internet sensation with his effortless, high-speed moonwalking on ice. The 61-year-old is the guy with the backpack and house, shuffling backwards toward the house inside the near-empty Cortina curling stadium, spraying plumes of water to prep the ice.

He has been the centre of attention at the Winter Olympics in northern Italy- a long way from the Forest Hills rink in Aberfoyle where he first experienced curling. He has impressed audiences with his performance and vibrant personality, though some of his most vital moments consist mainly of him falling over.

These individuals took the spotlight by performing at the Games. There is a workforce of approximately 25,000 people at these Games,18,000 of whom are volunteers. Ultimately, this season’s games are all about providing enchanting stories for the audience.

The international News

Football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo wished his fans Ramadan Kareem on Tuesday.

The UAE confirmed the official start date of Ramadan will begin on February 18.

Recently, Ronaldo marked his first match since turning 41 in the best possible way, scoring in Al Nassr’s 2-0 win over Al Fateh on Saturday at the Prince Abdullah Bin Jalawi Stadium.

The victory keeps Al Nassr firmly in the Saudi Pro League title race. They are now just one point behind leaders Al Hilal after game week 21.

Making his return to the starting eleven after missing three matches amid a dispute with club management, Ronaldo wasted little time reminding everyone of his value.

In the 18th minute, Sadio Mane delivered a sharp cross into the box and Ronaldo met it first time, guiding the ball into the bottom right corner. It was a calm and clinical finish, the kind that has defined his career for more than two decades.

Al Nassr controlled most of the game after taking the lead. They sealed the win in the 78th minute when Ayman Yahya struck a fine second goal to secure all three points for the visitors.

Al Nassr will aim to extend their winning streak when they face Al Hazem on February 21. With Ronaldo back among the goals and fully focused on football again, the Riyadh giants remain the biggest challenge to Al Hilal in the race for the Saudi Pro League crown.

GN