Cristiano Ronaldo moved another step towards the historic 1,000-career-goal milestone 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 quickly to a rebound after goalkeeper Waleed Abdullah parried Kingsley Coman’s powerful attempt. The strike took Ronaldo’s official career tally for club and country to 980 goals, leaving him just 20 away from reaching the landmark. It was also his fourth goal in the Saudi Pro League this season as he continued his pursuit of one of football’s most remarkable individual records.Al-Nassr extended their advantage in the 35th minute when Samú Costa headed home a corner delivered by Portuguese teammate João Félix. The home side maintained control after the interval, with Coman completing the scoring in the 77th minute following a swift counterattack initiated by Sadio Mané. The victory strengthened Al-Nassr’s position in the league title race, taking the team to 19 points and leaving them level with leaders Al-Qadsiah, who remained ahead on goal difference. Ronaldo received enthusiastic support from the home crowd, with fans chanting his name and displaying a banner celebrating the forward during his first club appearance following a turbulent international break with Portugal.Ronaldo’s return to club football came after reports of a disagreement with Portugal head coach Jorge Jesus during the international break. The forward had reportedly left the national team’s training camp after being left out of the starting lineup, prompting speculation about tensions within the squad. However, Ronaldo subsequently reaffirmed his intention to continue representing Portugal, dismissing suggestions that he was preparing to retire from international football. His latest goal has now returned attention to his pursuit of 1,000 career strikes, a target that has become a major talking point in the later stages of his career. Al-Nassr are expected to return to action on Monday against Uzbekistan’s Neftchi Farg‘ona in the AFC Champions League Two, with Ronaldo continuing his quest to reach the historic milestone.
