Cristiano Ronaldo moved closer to the historic 1,000-goal milestone after scoring in Al-Nassr’s 3-1 victory over Al-Faisaly in the Saudi Pro League on Friday, taking his career tally to 982 goals.
The Portuguese captain found the net in the second half, while Abdullah Al-Hamdan and Ângelo also scored for Al-Nassr. Théo Bongonda grabbed Al-Faisaly’s only goal as the visitors maintained their momentum with another important league victory.
Ronaldo’s latest strike was particularly significant after his frustrating outing against NEOM in the previous match, when he missed a penalty despite Al-Nassr securing a 1-0 win. The 41-year-old responded by finding the net again, leaving him just 18 goals away from the remarkable milestone.
Al-Nassr made an immediate impact, taking the lead in the fourth minute through Al-Hamdan. The forward finished with his right foot after a move created by Sadio Mané, giving the visitors an early advantage and putting Al-Faisaly under pressure.
The early breakthrough allowed Al-Nassr to approach the remainder of the first half with confidence. Mané remained a dangerous attacking outlet, using his movement and pace to stretch the opposition’s defensive line and create space for his teammates.
Ronaldo also threatened to get on the scoresheet before the interval. One of his attempts struck the post, denying him an opportunity to extend his career tally and underlining how close he came to scoring before half-time.
Al-Faisaly had to contend with Al-Nassr’s attacking pressure, while the visitors looked to increase their advantage rather than settle for the narrow lead. Despite Ronaldo’s near miss, however, the first half ended with Al-Hamdan’s early strike separating the sides.
The decisive moment for Ronaldo arrived in the 49th minute when Al-Nassr doubled their advantage.
João Félix delivered a free-kick into the penalty area, where Ronaldo rose to meet the ball with a header. His effort found the net after taking a deflection off Al-Faisaly defender Andrei Girotto.
Although the defender’s touch changed the ball’s trajectory, the goal was credited to Ronaldo, taking him to 982 official career goals.
The strike demonstrated Ronaldo’s continued threat in the penalty area, particularly from set-piece situations, where his aerial ability and movement remain important weapons.
The Portuguese forward appeared to have scored again shortly afterwards, raising the possibility of a second goal in quick succession. However, the effort was disallowed following a VAR review because Al-Hamdan had been in an offside position during the attacking move.
The decision prevented Ronaldo from increasing his tally further, but Al-Nassr retained their two-goal advantage and continued to look the more dangerous side.
Al-Faisaly refused to surrender, though, and found a way back into the contest in the 66th minute. Bongonda scored to reduce the deficit to 2-1, giving the hosts renewed hope of securing something from the encounter.
The goal made the closing stages more competitive, forcing Al-Nassr to remain alert as Al-Faisaly looked for an opportunity to level the score.
However, Al-Nassr responded by restoring their two-goal cushion through Ângelo. The Brazilian winger finished after receiving a lay-off from Al-Hamdan, whose contribution extended beyond his opening goal.
Ângelo’s strike settled the contest and ensured Al-Nassr left with all three points after an important attacking performance.
The result provided another positive moment for Ronaldo, whose latest goal continued a career defined by extraordinary scoring consistency across several of Europe’s biggest clubs and the Portugal national team.
His career tally now stands at 982, comprising 836 goals at club level and 146 for Portugal, according to published career statistics. With 18 goals remaining before he reaches 1,000, every appearance brings fresh attention to his pursuit of the landmark.
For Al-Nassr, the victory was equally important in their pursuit of domestic success. Al-Hamdan’s early contribution, Félix’s set-piece delivery and Ângelo’s finishing helped secure the result, while Ronaldo once again supplied the headline moment.
The Saudi side will now look to carry their winning momentum into their upcoming fixtures, while supporters continue to follow Ronaldo’s progress towards one of the most significant scoring milestones in football history.
