Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice as Al Nassr defeated Al Hazem 4-0 on Saturday, moving to the top of the Saudi Pro League standings with 55 points. The Portuguese forward’s goals, including one assisted by Kingsley Coman, bring his career total to 964, as he continues his pursuit of reaching 1,000 goals.
Ronaldo opened the scoring with a left-footed shot after receiving a pass from Coman, initially flagged for offside but confirmed by VAR. Fifteen minutes later, Coman himself extended Al Nassr’s lead. Angelo Gabriel added a third goal before Ronaldo sealed the victory in the 79th minute with another left-footed strike.
The win places Al Nassr one point ahead of Al Hilal, who drew 1-1 against Al Ittihad in a simultaneous match. According to reports, Ronaldo has set reaching the 1,000-goal milestone as a key objective since joining the Saudi Arabian league, a goal that factored into his decision to extend his contract with the club until 2027.
Kingsley Coman’s role in Ronaldo’s goal and overall performance has drawn attention, with reports indicating that Ronaldo actively convinced Coman to join Al Nassr from Bayern Munich. The transfer reportedly involved significant financial offers to Coman to potentially speak negatively about Ronaldo, which he declined.
Ronaldo’s return to the Al Nassr squad follows a three-game absence, with his availability confirmed despite previous reports of a protest related to his participation. He remains 68 goals behind Lionel Messi, who has scored 896 goals in his professional career and is set to return to competitive action with Inter Miami on Saturday.
Notably, Ronaldo has scored 500 goals after turning 30, a feat that demonstrates a continued high level of performance despite advancing age. This contrasts with the typical decline often experienced by footballers as they get older.
