He’s done it again. Cristiano Ronaldo has once again found the net this year, this time with the Al Nassr uniform. 49 minutes into the Saudi Pro League game against Al Wahda, the Portuguese superstar seized on a terrible mistake by the defense to make it a 3-0 game.
The home side was trying to build a play from its own box, but one of its players made a costly mistake when trying to head the ball back to the goalkeeper. The pass was too short, leaving Ronaldo with a perfect opportunity to find the net.
Even at 38, those kinds of chances are still too easy for the former Real Madrid star, so it wasn’t a surprise to see him put the ball in the back of the net. With this goal, he extended his impressive tally in 2023.
Apart from being the Saudi Pro League’s top scorer with 13 goals, Ronaldo is the world’s leading goalscorer in the year as he found the net on 45 occasions so far. The years may pass, but his prolific instinct remains untouched.
Aging like a fine wine
Ronaldo looks determined to defy Father Time for as long as he can. While the pass of time often takes a toll on the athletes, Cristiano has been able to extend his ability to score to his late 30s. In fact, he boasts 401 goals and 91 assists since turning 30.
Even at this stage of his career, there is not another player who has more goals than him this year. Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe, and so many others are trailing Ronaldo in the scoring table in 2023.
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Will Ronaldo reach 1,000 career goals?
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The five-time Ballon d’Or winner now has 864 career goals, considering both club and international play. That means he’s just 36 goals away from reaching 900, which would be a huge milestone.
Ronaldo already holds impressive records such as being the UEFA Champions League’s all time top scorer (140) and also the top scorer in international soccer, scoring 127 for Portugal since his first cap in 2003. While he’s no longer in the Old Continent to extend his record in the European competition, Ronaldo can still add more goals to his international tally.
What’s next for Ronaldo, Al Nassr
With their 3-1 victory over Al Wahda, Al Nassr are still within touching distance of Al Hilal, currently top of the Saudi Pro League with 35 points after 13 games. Ronaldo and company are four points shy of the leaders, so they still have work to do.
With the international break taking center stage, Cristiano will join the Portuguese national team for the Euro qualifiers games against Liechtenstein and Iceland. Al Nassr will return to action on Friday, Nov. 24, when they host Al-Okhdood in the 14th round of the Saudi Pro League.