Skip to main content

Ronaldo wants to reach 1,000 goals before ending his soccer career. He’s up to 956

By The Associated Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Cristiano Ronaldo has expressed his determination to score 1,000 goals by the end of his career.

And the 40-year-old Portugal superstar is in no doubt he’ll get there.

“I will reach that number for sure, if no injuries,” Ronaldo said late Sunday at the Globe Soccer Awards in Dubai, where he was named as the best player in the Middle East.

Ronaldo moved onto 956 career goals by scoring twice for Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League on Saturday. His tally includes men’s international record of 143 goals for Portugal, which Ronaldo is set to lead into next year’s World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

By the time the World Cup begins, Ronaldo — a five-time world player of the year — will be aged 41.

“I am still very motivated to carry on,” the former Real Madrid, Manchester United and Juventus striker said on stage after receiving his award. “It doesn’t matter (where) I play — Middle East, in Europe — I always enjoy to play football, to win trophies, to score goals and I want to carry on.

“You know what my goal is: I want to win more trophies and I want to reach the number that you will all know.”

The World Cup is one of the few trophies missing from Ronaldo’s collection. He won the European Championship with Portugal in 2016.

___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

NYPD says dozens rescued from human trafficking during World Cup

By WTOP Staff
▶ Watch Video: Inside look at security preparations for World Cup Forty-three people, including seven minors, were rescued from human traffickers during the World Cup matches in the New York City area, according to the New York City Police Department's Special Victims Unit.The rescue operations were carried out between June 11 and July 19 by specialized NYPD detectives who arrested 89 individuals."The surprise was really the outpouring of support behind the mission and the collaboration with all our partners," said Inspector Gary Marcus, commanding officer of the Special Victims Unit.Those rescued, largely the victims of sex trafficking, are now being supported with an array of social services for the victims, including food, housing and counseling.The 87 operations carried out during the World Cup have generated new leads, officials said, and law enforcement agencies are building more cases based on the investigations already underway."We have ongoing investigations now as a result of these operations," an NYPD official told CBS News.Major sporting events are known to law enforcement as hotbeds of human trafficking.Years in advance, the NYPD devoted significant resources to preparing for the World Cup. Eight matches were played at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium, including the final on Sunday."When we talk about the outreach and the prep we do, a large part of that involved visiting the known sex offenders, particularly the known human traffickers, in our registry," Marcus said. "Whether they're on parole or probation for human trafficking, we visited them to make sure they're compliant with the terms of their release, and secondly, to let them know that the NYPD is watching."The matches were held in multiple cities around the U.S., Mexico and Canada. Preparations to secure those games and prepare for crimes like human trafficking were coordinated between local, state and federal law enforcement agencies.Police departments in many locations that hosted World Cup matches have made arrests and rescues connected to human trafficking, including in Georgia, New England and Missouri. Nationally, there were more than 673 arrests on human-trafficking charges made during the World Cup, and 61 adults and 13 minors rescued, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Read Next Story

Related Stories

British Open 2028 Golf
Sports
Ryan Fox wins first career major at 2026 Open Championship
July 19, 2026
British Open 2028 Golf

Ryan Fox wins first career major at 2026 Open Championship

Johnson memorial

DC sports fans have a chance to showcase their favorite memorabilia

Knicks take 1-0 lead into game 2 against the Spurs

Josh Hart's efforts help Knicks turn around Game 1 of the NBA Finals and beat the Spurs

Baseball Glance