Cristiano Ronaldo played a pivotal role in Al Nassr’s 2-0 victory over Al Ahli, netting the 970th goal of his career as he draws closer to his first official title in Saudi Arabia. While the goal keeps Ronaldo within striking distance of the scoring title, Al Qadsiah forward Julian Quiñones has officially taken over the lead in a dramatic shift at the top of the charts.
With his latest strike, Ronaldo reached 25 goals for the season. Although he managed to close the gap on Ivan Toney (who sits at 27 goals), Quiñones surged ahead with a clinical performance to reach 29 tallies.
The road ahead is steep for the Portuguese superstar, who has just four league fixtures remaining to overtake his rivals and claim his third consecutive Golden Boot.
Does Ronaldo have a chance to win the Golden Boot?
While the situation is challenging, Cristiano Ronaldo can never be counted out in the race for the league’s top scorer. The Portuguese star is currently in fantastic form, having netted nine goals in his last nine matches.
Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates a goal vs Al Ahli. (Getty Images)
Several factors keep his third Golden Boot in Saudi Arabia within reach: he remains the primary penalty and free-kick taker, and he serves as the focal point of an elite offense where Joao Felix and Kingsley Coman provide world-class service.
However, the strength of the remaining schedule remains a significant hurdle. Al Nassr must still navigate high-stakes fixtures against Al Qadsiah (4th) and Al Hilal (2nd), while Quiñones faces a theoretically easier path with 6th-place Al Ittihad as his toughest remaining opponent. Meanwhile, Toney will close out his campaign against teams currently outside the top 10.
Ronaldo chases third consecutive Golden Boot
If Ronaldo manages to top the scoring charts by the end of the campaign, he will become only the third player in Saudi Pro League history to claim the Golden Boot in three consecutive seasons.
Securing this feat would place him in the exclusive company of league legends: Majed Abdullah, who achieved the triple for Al Nassr between 1978/79 and 1980/81, and Omar Al Somah, who dominated for Al Ahli from 2014/15 to 2016/17.
