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Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 982nd official career goal as Al Nassr defeated Al Faisaly 3-1 in the Saudi Pro League on Friday, leaving the Portugal captain just 18 goals away from the historic 1,000-goal milestone.
The 41-year-old forward doubled Al Nassr’s lead in the 49th minute, heading home a cross from compatriot João Félix at Majmaah Sports City Stadium.
The goal ended Ronaldo’s brief wait for another strike since scoring against Neftchi Fargona in the AFC Champions League Elite on October 12. He later thought he had added another goal, but the effort was ruled out for offside following a review.
Al Nassr had taken the lead early in the first half through Abdullah Al-Hamdan, who finished a move involving Senegalese forward Sadio Mané.
Al Faisaly responded through Theo Bongonda, who headed home Mohammed Al Shanqiti’s cross to reduce the deficit. However, Al Nassr restored their two-goal advantage in the 79th minute when Ângelo Gabriel converted a pass from Al-Hamdan to seal the victory.
The result extended Al Nassr’s winning run to three matches following victories over Al-Diriyah and Neom, keeping them firmly in contention for the Saudi Pro League title.
Al Nassr moved to 25 points, level with league leaders Al-Qadsiah, who had a game in hand ahead of their fixture against Al-Hilal. Al-Hilal occupied third place, one point behind the leading pair, with a postponed match also outstanding.
Ronaldo’s latest strike brings him closer to the 1,000-goal landmark, a milestone that would further strengthen his standing among football’s most prolific goalscorers. With 18 goals remaining, attention will remain on the veteran forward as he continues his pursuit of the historic mark.
