Cristiano Ronaldo moved to within 20 goals of the historic 1,000-goal milestone after scoring in Al Nassr’s 3-0 victory over Al Diriyah in the Saudi Pro League on Friday.
The Portuguese captain opened the scoring in the 23rd minute at Al-Awwal Park in Riyadh, taking his career tally to 980 goals as Al Nassr secured all three points in their Matchday Eight encounter.
Ronaldo reacted quickest after a shot from teammate Kingsley Coman was saved by the goalkeeper, converting the rebound to give the hosts the lead.
The goal marked his return to club football following the international break and came amid recent controversy surrounding his departure from Portugal’s national team camp.
Al Nassr doubled their advantage in the 35th minute through Samu Costa, who finished after an assist from João Félix, giving the home side a comfortable 2-0 lead at half-time.
Coman then put the result beyond doubt in the 77th minute, converting Sadio Mané’s assist to complete a convincing victory for the Saudi side.
The result strengthened Al Nassr’s position near the top of the Saudi Pro League standings, with the club continuing its push for domestic honours.
For Ronaldo, however, the biggest talking point was his latest step towards the unprecedented 1,000-goal mark. At 41, the forward continues to pursue the target he has publicly identified as a major ambition before the end of his playing career.
Ronaldo had entered Friday’s match on 979 goals, his strike against Al Diriyah took him to 980, leaving him 20 short of four figures.
The goal also offered a timely response to the scrutiny surrounding his recent Portugal episode. Reports said Ronaldo left the national team camp after being left out of the starting line-up, triggering speculation about tensions with coach Jorge Jesus.
The coach and Portuguese football authorities have since indicated that the door remains open for Ronaldo’s return.
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