In brief
Ronaldo headed in the 49th minute, his 982nd career goal according to SAPO and RTP, while RTP counts 988 senior goals overall.
Al Nassr and Al-Qadisiyah are level on 25 points after matchday 11, with Al Faisaly 15th on seven points.
Ronaldo was named the best player on the pitch but gave the award to Abdullah Al-Hamdan, who scored in the 4th minute and assisted one goal.
- 52nd minuteRonaldo's further goal is ruled out for offside after VAR review
- 66th minuteTheo Bongonda pulls one back for Al Faisaly
- 79th minuteÂngelo scores to make it 3-1
Opening goal and Ronaldo's header
Al Nassr won 3-1 away at Al Faisaly on Friday, 23 October, in matchday 11 of the Saudi league. Abdullah Al-Hamdan gave the visitors the lead in the 4th minute, and one report credits Sadio Mané with the pass that set him up. In the 49th minute Cristiano Ronaldo headed in a set piece delivered by João Félix, doubling the lead. Three minutes later he thought he had scored again, but the goal was ruled out for offside after a VAR review. Ronaldo also struck the woodwork around the half-hour mark, according to SAPO.
What the 982nd goal means
The strike was reported as Ronaldo's 982nd career goal. RTP counts 988 senior goals in total, a figure that falls to 982 when only goals for the Portugal senior team and clubs are included, since six were scored for youth and Olympic sides. The 41-year-old, who turns 42 in February, has said several times that his final career target is 1,000 goals. According to Notícias ao Minuto, he had missed a penalty against Neom in the previous round, three days before this match. Reports describe the goal as the sixth-highest category of his career tally, but no source gives that figure, so it is not repeated here.
Gesture and league table
Ronaldo was named the best player on the pitch but handed the award to teammate Abdullah Al-Hamdan, a gesture that spread widely on social media. Al-Hamdan scored once and assisted once, according to Notícias ao Minuto. With the win, Al Nassr moved level on 25 points with Al-Qadisiyah at the top of the table. Al-Qadisiyah were also due to play Al Hilal later on the same day, while Al Faisaly sit 15th on seven points, according to SAPO. Ronaldo posted photographs from the match on social media afterwards with a short caption.
Second-half goals
Theo Bongonda pulled one back for Al Faisaly in the 66th minute, heading in a cross from the left with no defender challenging him, according to SAPO. Ângelo, who came on for Samu Costa in the second half, made the final score 3-1 in the 79th minute after a pass from Al-Hamdan. Ronaldo, João Félix and Samu Costa started for Al Nassr. Pacheco, the Al Faisaly goalkeeper, made several saves to deny Ronaldo during the match, according to reports.