Cristiano Ronaldo moved to within 20 goals of reaching 1,000 career goals after scoring in Al-Nassr’s 3-0 victory over Diriyah in the Saudi Pro League on Friday.
The 41-year-old Portuguese captain opened the scoring in the 23rd minute at Al-Awwal Park in Riyadh, reacting quickest to a rebound after goalkeeper Waleed Abdullah parried Kingsley Coman’s powerful effort.
The goal took Ronaldo’s career tally for club and country to 980, bringing him another step closer to the historic milestone as he continues his career in Saudi Arabia. It was also his fourth league goal of the season, according to World Soccer Talk.
Al-Nassr doubled their lead in the 35th minute when Samú Costa headed home João Félix’s corner to give the hosts a comfortable advantage before the break.
The hosts maintained control after half-time, with Coman completing the scoring in the 77th minute following a swift counterattack initiated by Sadio Mané.
The victory marked a positive return to club football for Ronaldo following a turbulent international break with Portugal, during which he reportedly left the national team’s camp amid reports of a disagreement involving head coach Jorge Jesus.
Ronaldo later addressed the situation in a statement, reaffirming his commitment to continuing his international career with Portugal.
His return to Al-Nassr brought the focus back to his pursuit of 1,000 career goals, a landmark that has become one of the defining talking points of the latter stages of his career.
The win also strengthened Al-Nassr’s position in the Saudi Pro League title race, having entered the fixture with 16 points from their opening seven matches.
For Ronaldo, the latest goal further underlined his enduring scoring ability and brought him closer to a milestone few players in football history have approached.
With 980 goals to his name, the Portuguese forward now needs 20 more to reach the 1,000-goal mark.
