This week, a number started circulating on X. Not 967. Not 1,000. Just 961. And with it came a question: why is Sofascore showing fewer career goals for Cristiano Ronaldo than everywhere else?

It is a fair question. Here is the full answer.

Six Goals, One Tournament, A Lot of Noise

The goals in question were scored during the 2023 Arab Club Champions Cup. Al-Nassr won the tournament. Ronaldo scored six times and finished as the top scorer. He scored them. That is not in dispute.

Sofascore has the tournament in our database. It was always there. But those goals were not reflected on his career tab, because the competition was classified as a friendly tournament. That is where the gap between 961 and 967 comes from.

Where We Stand

Out of transparency to our users and to Cristiano Ronaldo himself, those six goals will be added to his career tab on Sofascore. The tournament is real. The goals are real. They will be reflected accordingly. Not only for Ronaldo, but for all playing in that tournament. 

At the same time, the football world is still waiting for FIFA to officially classify the Arab Club Champions Cup. An official stance from football’s governing body would settle the debate for every platform, every database, and every fan tracking Ronaldo’s road to 1,000. Until that happens, the conversation will continue.

What Comes Next

Sofascore is building a dedicated feature to track Ronaldo’s road to 1,000 goals. Every goal, every match that brings him closer to one of the most remarkable records in football history.

Because that is what we do. We track the game. All of it.

967. That’s the Number.

The six goals have been in our database from day one. Nothing was removed, nothing was hidden. Out of full transparency to our users and to Cristiano Ronaldo himself, the 2023 Arab Club Champions Cup will be reflected on his career tab as well. 967 goals. The record, set straight.