 "Cristiano Ronaldo is only 69 goals away from 1000 goals tally. Image: Ronaldo on X")
Cristiano Ronaldo took a major step towards becoming the first footballer to score 1000 goals in official matches by scoring a brace for Al-Nassr in their win over Al-Hilal on Friday. 40-year-old Ronaldo scored twice in the second half as Al-Nassr won 3-1 to clinch a big win in the race for the Saudi Pro League title.
Al-Nassr are still third with 54 points from 26 matches while Al-Ittihad are at the top with 61 points from 25 matches. Al-Hilal are second with 57 points from 26 games in the 18-team table.
Ronaldo scores 20+ goals for 15th time in a season
Coming to Ronaldo. The Portuguese legend has now scored 931 goals in official matches with his latest brace for the Riyadh-based club.
Ronaldo, however, reiterated after the match that individual records don’t motivate him and he is more focussed on making his team win.
“The team effort was crucial to this win and me scoring is important but it’s more important to win” Ronaldo told SSC.
“I work hard to help the team in the SPL and Champions League and don’t concentrate on individual records” he added.
Nonetheless, Ronaldo’s two goals at the Kingdom Arena took his season’s tally to 21 goals. This is the 15th time Ronaldo has scored 20 or more goals in a single season and all such 15 occasions have come in the last 17 seasons.
The first time Ronaldo hit 20+ goals in a season was with Manchester United in the 2007/08 Premier League season. The only two seasons in the last 17 when Ronaldo failed to touch the 20-goal mark were in the 2021/22 and 2022/23 seasons.
How Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr defeated Al-Hilal
Al-Nassr opened the scoring before the interval when Ali Al Hassan curled a shot past goalkeeper Yassin Bono.
Ronaldo made it 2-0 two minutes after the break with a precise shot after a pass from Sadio Mane.
Reigning champions Al-Hilal tried to fight back playing on the counter attack and reduced the deficit in the 62nd minute through Ali Al Bulayhi’s close-range header after a corner.
However, Ronaldo wrapped up the points for Al-Nassr with a penalty in the 88th minute awarded for a handball by substitute Mouteb Al-Harbi following a VAR review.
With agency inputs