Portuguese football legend Cristiano Ronaldo won the Middle East Player of the Year award for the third consecutive time at the Globe Soccer Awards in Dubai, declaring his ambition to reach 1,000 career goals.

 

The 40-year-old star beat prominent players including Karim Benzema, Salem Al-Dawsari and Riyad Mahrez to claim the honor. Ronaldo scored 40 goals across all competitions during 2025, showcasing his remarkable form and consistent performance.

 

The Al-Nassr forward, whose contract runs until mid-2027, delivered an emotional speech after receiving the award.

 

"It's very hard to play more, but my passion is high and I'm ready to play more," Ronaldo said. "Regardless of whether I play in the Middle East or in Europe, I love playing football, scoring goals and winning trophies," he added.

 

He then revealed his ultimate target. "You all know what my goal is. I want to win more trophies and I want to score a thousand goals," Ronaldo said. "If I don't get injured, I will definitely score a thousand goals, Inshallah."

 

Football fans across social media celebrated the Portuguese icon's achievement and determination.

 

Inshallah? He's a Muslim now?" one user questioned.

"Every time he says inshallah publicly he gets a €1M bonus from Saudi," another user joked.

"Inshallah indeed," a user wrote with the clapping emoji.

"His name is literally Cristiano lol," one person pointed out.

"Musalmano Ronaldo," another user wrote with a heart emoji.

"You can't hate this man," one fan commented.

 

"Ronaldo rocks," another user wrote.

"Classic Ronaldo, aiming for the ultimate goal, let's go!" a user added.

 

Ronaldo currently has 956 career goals across club and international football. His declaration to reach 1,000 goals would require him to score 44 more goals.