Cristiano Ronaldo Awarded More Penalties In Saudi Pro League Than Anywhere Else As He Chases 1,000 Goals

Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has been awarded more penalties per game in the Saudi Pro League than anywhere else he’s played as he chases down 1,000 senior goals.

An icon of global football that has transcended his sport, Cristiano Ronaldo has been at the top of the game for more than 20 years.

Now 40, he is still scoring for Saudi club Al-Nassr, and is closing in on 1,000 senior goals.

At the time of writing, he has scored 947 senior goals for club and country.

He is showing no signs of slowing down, either. Just last month, Ronaldo broke the World Cup qualifying record for goals scored.

But with him rapidly approaching the 1,000-mark, some argue that penalties are the only reason he’s scored so many.

There have even been suggestions that the Saudi officials have awarded Ronaldo an unusual volume of spot-kicks to help him on his way.

To find out if there’s any truth to the ‘Penaldo’ claims, we at SportsCasting have investigated the rate at which Cristiano has been awarded penalties throughout his career.

Working on our dream! pic.twitter.com/gHvokaRQbI

— Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano) November 8, 2025

Cristiano Ronaldo Awarded More Penalties Per Game In Saudi Pro League

To date, Cristiano Ronaldo has taken 214 penalties, excluding shootouts.

He’s scored 179 of those, missing 35.

But when looking at the number of penalties he’s taken per game, the stats make interesting reading.

Below, we have collected the penalty stats for Ronaldo across each of his clubs, and the Portuguese team.

As he did not take any penalties at Sporting CP, they have not been included.

The stats reveal that Ronaldo has averaged 0.27 penalties taken per game at Al-Nassr.

That equates to more than one penalty every four games – the highest rate of any team he’s played for.

Comparatively, he took just 25 penalties in his two stints at Manchester United, at a rate of 0.07 per game.

At Juventus, Ronaldo took 0.25 penalties per game, marginally fewer than he has done in Saudi.

While the difference is slight, it is undeniable that Ronaldo has been scoring from the spot more frequently at Al-Nassr than anywhere else he’s played.

Cristiano Ronaldo Tells Piers Morgan Saudi League Tougher Than Portugal And Ligue 1

Despite relying on penalties more than he has done anywhere else, Cristiano Ronaldo recently argued that the Saudi League is tougher than much of Europe.

He has so far scored 103 goals for Al-Nassr since joining in 2022-23.

But his incredible goal feats in Saudi have been met with scepticism, something Ronaldo has now hit back against.

In an interview with Piers Morgan last week, he said: “It’s excuse after excuse. Year after year, I keep scoring more goals. Even in a bad year, I scored 25 goals.

“If I were playing in the Premier League now, for a big team, I would score the same as now.

“I just keep doing my job. I’ll repeat it. They don’t know what it’s like to run in 40 degree heat and I still continue to say, the Saudi League is better than the Portuguese league, obviously, as well as the French League – it’s only PSG (Paris Saint-Germain).”

How Soon Will Ronaldo Reach 1,000 Goals?

Many people have been wondering it, but when will Cristiano Ronaldo reach 1,000 career goals?

He is already regarded by many as perhaps the greatest player of all time, with the Ronaldo Vs Messi debate likely to continue long after both have hung up their boots.

But Ronaldo’s near-obsessive pursuit of 1,000 goals has seen him sign a new deal that will keep him in Saudi until 2027.

Upon signing the new deal, he said: “A new chapter begins. Same passion, same dream. Let’s make history together.”

Given his current rate of 103 goals in 116 games, and him now needing fewer than 50 to reach his aim, it seems entirely plausible that Ronaldo will score his 1,000th goal before his career is done.

And with the veteran hoping to play for Portugal at next summer’s World Cup for the final time, he has another opportunity to grab a few more.