Ronaldo scores 980th goal as Al-Nassr beats Diriyah 3-0

Cristiano Ronaldo is now just 20 goals away from reaching 1,000 career goals. He scored during Al-Nassr's 3-0 win over Diriyah in the Saudi Pro League on Friday.

The 41-year-old Portuguese captain found the net in the 23rd minute at Al-Awwal Park in Riyadh. He took advantage of a rebound after goalkeeper Waleed Abdullah saved Kingsley Coman’s powerful shot.

This goal marked Ronaldo’s 980th in his career for both club and country. He is getting closer to this milestone as he plays in Saudi Arabia. This was also his fourth goal in the league this season, according to World Soccer Talk.

Al-Nassr increased their lead in the 35th minute. Samú Costa scored with a header from João Félix’s corner, putting the home team two goals ahead before halftime.

After the break, Al-Nassr kept their lead. Coman scored the third goal in the 77th minute after a quick counterattack led by Sadio Mané, according to the match details.

This win came as Ronaldo returned to club play after a rocky international break with Portugal. He had left the national team’s camp due to reported issues with head coach Jorge Jesus.

Ronaldo later spoke about the situation, saying he plans to keep playing for Portugal. His return to Al-Nassr shifted attention back to his chase for the 1,000-goal mark.

The result helped Al-Nassr strengthen their position in the Saudi Pro League title race. They entered this match with 16 points from their first seven games.

For Ronaldo, this goal was another sign of his scoring ability as he moves closer to a milestone that has become a big topic in the later part of his career, TalkSport reported.