Gianni Infantino wishes Ronaldo luck on 1,000-goal bid

Cristiano Ronaldo’s pursuit of 1,000 career goals has received a public show of encouragement from FIFA president Gianni Infantino. Their brief exchange placed the landmark back in focus as the Portugal captain continues to chase a record that has become a defining target of the later stage of his career.

Infantino told Ronaldo that he had 23 goals left to reach the milestone and wished him luck. Ronaldo, who is 41, responded with a smile during the meeting. He had scored for Al-Nassr in his most recent appearance, maintaining his progress towards the total.

The moment quickly circulated across social media, where the interaction drew attention because of the significance of Ronaldo’s goal chase and the public setting in which Infantino addressed it. The forward has recently suggested that he may have about one more year remaining at the highest level, adding urgency to the pursuit without changing its scale.

For Ronaldo, every goal now carries added weight as he closes in on a four-figure career tally. Infantino’s remarks did not alter the footballing challenge, but they gave the campaign an unusual FIFA spotlight and showed that the target is being followed beyond Al-Nassr and Portugal.