Cristiano Ronaldo completes 50 Saudi Pro League goals with header
Cristiano Ronaldo has kicked off his Saudi Pro League campaign with a spectacular header, marking his 50th goal in the tournament. This significant achievement places him just two goals away from reaching an impressive total of 900 career goals. Despite his outstanding performance, Al Nassr was held to a 1-1 draw at home by Al Raed. Here are further details.
Ronaldo's header leaves goalkeeper helpless
Ronaldo, the top goalscorer of last season, continued his scoring streak with a powerful header 34 minutes into the game at Al Awwal Park. His goal left 22-year-old goalkeeper Meshari Sunyur helpless on his RSL debut. The successful strike was facilitated by Sadio Mane's swift maneuvering down the left flank, leading to Al Nassr's first goal of the campaign.
Ronaldo becomes third fastest player to score 50 goals
Ronaldo's 50th RSL goal positioned Al Nassr in the lead at halftime, and cemented his status as the third-fastest player to reach this milestone. He achieved this feat in just 49 matches, trailing only behind Omar Al Somah and Abderrazak Hamdallah, who hold the record for being the league's top two all-time highest scorers.
Al Raed equalizes after penalty decision
The game took a turn four minutes into the second half when Al Nassr midfielder Abdullah Al Khaibari lost possession to Amir Sayoud. The latter's left-footed shot was deflected by goalkeeper Bento toward Mohammed Fouzair, who was then tackled by Aymeric Laporte. This led to a penalty decision, allowing Al Raed captain Fouzair to score and level the match at 1-1.
Ronaldo's second goal disallowed after VAR check
Ronaldo managed to score a second goal in the 76th minute, but it was disallowed due to an offside ruling following a lengthy VAR check. This decision left Al Nassr manager Luis Castro frustrated. "The cancelation of Ronaldo's goal is incorrect and we have a penalty kick that was not given," he stated post-match, expressing his dissatisfaction with the referee's decisions.
Ronaldo was the top scorer in Saudi Pro League 2023-24
Ronaldo finished with 35 goals in the Saudi Pro League 2023-24 season from 31 matches. He was the league's top scorer with Aleksandar Mitrovic of Al-Hilal following suit (28 goals). In terms of assists, Ronaldo was the third-best (11) after Al-Ahli's Riyad Mahrez (13) and Al-Hilal's Ruben Neves (12). Ronaldo smashed the most number of hat-tricks as well (4).
