Cristiano Ronaldo Makes History as Al Nassr's All-Time Saudi Pro League Scorer

Cristiano Ronaldo created more history on Friday, with his goal against Al Taawoun making him Al Nassr's all-time leading scorer in the Saudi Pro League. The reigning champions had trailed to an 11th-minute Bassam Mohammed Al Hurayji goal but levelled the tie in first-half injury time through a Samu Costa strike. With the second half just five minutes old, Ronaldo helped a goalbound Mohammed Simakan shot into the roof of the net for what proved to be the winner.

It took Ronaldo's Pro League goal tally to 104 for Nassr, surpassing Mohammed Al Sahlawi's previous best. The goal also moved the five-time Ballon d'Or winner closer to 1,000 career goals, with the 41-year-old now sitting on 978. “I’m very, very happy,” said Ronaldo. “It’s a great achievement, but it’s not just Cristiano’s achievement. I have to say thank you to my teammates, because without them, this wouldn’t have been possible. But I’m also very happy for the fans. They support me all the time, and I’m very proud of that. Thank you.”

The win at Al Awwal Park maintains Nassr's perfect start to the season, with the Riyadh club sitting top of the table with four wins. Ronaldo's milestone moment came just days after he snubbed the Nassr bench following being substituted by Nassr coach Ange Postecoglou while his side trailed 2-0 to Al Ettifaq. In that previous match, Nassr—reduced to 10 men early on after goalkeeper Bento was sent off—staged a remarkable second-half comeback to claim a 3-2 victory.

Against Al Taawoun, the visitors initially threatened an upset when Al Hurayji reacted quickest to tap home a rebound from close range after goalkeeper Nawaf Al Aqidi deflected a Mohammed Al Aqel shot onto the crossbar. Costa then struck in the fifth minute of added time at the end of the first half following a Sadio Mane lay-off, marking the Portuguese midfielder's second goal for Nassr since joining from Mallorca over the summer.

Nassr took the lead in the 50th minute when Ronaldo's flick guided Simakan's effort beyond Mailson in the Taawoun goal. Nassr currently sit three points clear of Riyadh rivals Al Hilal, who are set to play Al Ahli Saudi on Tuesday following the latter's involvement in the Fifa Intercontinental Cup. Friday's victory also maintained Ange Postecoglou's 100 per cent record as Nassr coach since taking over from Jorge Jesus in the summer.

Looking ahead to next Saturday's fixture against Al Ittihad, Postecoglou lamented Nassr's packed schedule. “It was a tough match and the team is not ready,” Postecoglou told reporters post-game. “Five matches in 13 days, that was tough. The Al Nassr players are aware of these difficult circumstances. We must remain calm. In my career, I have never faced such a schedule at the start of the season. We have a break period before the next match, and this is a good thing. We will give the players some rest, and we will have the time to work in training and prepare for the match better, especially since the past period had most of our training sessions dedicated to recovery.”