Cristiano Ronaldo Moves Closer to 1000 Goals with Al Nassr Victory
Cristiano Ronaldo moved to within touching distance of a scarcely believable landmark on Friday night, dragging Al Nassr to a 2-1 win over Al Taawoun and edging closer to 1,000 career goals.
He is now on 978. Just 22 more stand between him and four figures.
Record night in Riyadh
On a tense evening, with Al Nassr’s perfect league start on the line, Ronaldo once again decided the contest. The 39-year-old struck the winner in the 50th minute, his finish separating the sides after a bruising first half and ultimately sealing three more points.
He played 80 minutes, posted an xG of 1.08 and completed 90% of his passes, but the numbers barely capture the weight of the moment. That goal did more than win a match.
It rewrote Al Nassr history.
Ronaldo’s strike took him to 104 Saudi Pro League goals for the club, lifting him clear of Mohammad Al Sahlawi’s previous record of 103 and making him Al Nassr’s all-time top scorer in the league’s current era. Across all competitions, he has now drawn level with Al Sahlawi on 131 goals, with only the legendary Majed Abdullah still ahead on 259.
The climb is steep. Ronaldo keeps scaling.
Al Nassr’s streak rolls on
The game itself crackled from the start. Bassam Al Hurayji stunned the home side with an 11th-minute opener, forcing Al Nassr to chase. They pushed, prodded and finally broke through deep into first-half stoppage time, when Samuel Costa struck in the 45’+5 to drag them level.
That late response shifted the mood. The second half began with Al Nassr swarming forward, and the pressure finally told five minutes after the restart, when Ronaldo delivered the decisive blow.
From there, it became about control and resilience. Al Nassr held firm, protected their lead and, with it, preserved one of world football’s most remarkable runs.
The victory extended their scoring streak to 91 consecutive matches. Only one team in history has ever gone longer. Al Nassr now own the second-longest goalscoring sequence the sport has seen and the longest active run in Saudi Arabian football. Six more games with a goal, and the world record is theirs.
Ronaldo, inevitably, sits at the heart of it. He has now contributed to 155 goals in 150 appearances for the club, a relentless output that continues to power this era of dominance.
Top of the table, questions for the rest
The win keeps Al Nassr perfect in the Saudi Pro League this season: four games, four victories, 12 points. They sit alone at the summit, already setting a fierce pace.
For Al Taawoun, the picture is far less flattering. This defeat leaves them stranded in 15th with just two points, already staring up a long table and a longer season.
Al Nassr, by contrast, look anything but fragile. Their latest success comes straight off the back of a chaotic 3-2 comeback against Al Ettifaq in the previous round, a night that underlined both their volatility and their resolve.
In that game, Ronaldo’s frustration was laid bare. Substituted at half-time with Al Nassr 2-0 down, he threw his arms up and dropped the captain’s armband on the pitch as Ange Postecoglou made a bold call. The gamble worked. Sadio Mane scored twice after the break to complete a dramatic turnaround and vindicate the manager’s decision.
Postecoglou later defended his captain, describing Ronaldo as “passionate about football and passionate about Al-Nassr” — a fire that mirrors the club’s own hunger for trophies and records.
That same fire burned again against Al Taawoun. Another goal, another record, another step towards a milestone that once felt impossible.
The question now is simple: can anyone slow him, or this Al Nassr side, before the numbers rewrite the sport’s history books?
