Portuguese forward, Cristiano Ronaldo took his career goal tally to 982 after scoring in Al-Nassr’s 3-1 victory over Al-Faisaly in the Saudi Pro League on Friday.
The 41-year-old striker found the net in the 49th minute, connecting with a free-kick delivered by compatriot João Félix to extend Al-Nassr’s advantage in the encounter.
The goal initially came under review following protests from Al-Nassr players.
However, the referee eventually allowed it to stand after determining that Ronaldo was onside.
The strike generated debate among supporters on social media, with some questioning whether the ball had deflected off an Al-Faisaly defender before entering the net.
The Saudi Pro League’s official records nevertheless credited the goal to Ronaldo.
Al-Nassr had taken an early lead through Abdullah Al-Hamdan, who scored in the fourth minute following an assist from Sadio Mané.
Al-Faisaly reduced the deficit in the 66th minute through Theo Bongonda, raising hopes of a comeback before Angelo Gabriel restored Al-Nassr’s two-goal cushion with a 79th-minute strike to seal the victory.
Ronaldo’s latest goal leaves him 18 strikes away from reaching 1,000 career goals, a milestone that would place him among the most prolific goalscorers in football history.
The strike also marked the 25th different team Ronaldo has scored against in the Saudi Pro League, surpassing former Al-Hilal forward Nasser Al-Shamrani, who had scored against 24 different opponents in the competition.
Ronaldo had previously scored his 981st career goal when Al-Nassr defeated Uzbekistan’s Neftchi Fergana 3-1 in the AFC Champions League Elite.
