Cristiano Ronaldo joined Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr in January 2023. Despite a prolonged spell at the club, he had not secured a major trophy with them until now, apart from the Arab Club Champions Cup, which remains his only title with the side. At one stage, there was speculation that his Al Nassr tenure might conclude without significant silverware.
That prospect now appears unlikely. Ronaldo is on the verge of winning the Saudi Pro League for the first time, with Al Nassr’s 2–0 victory over Al Ahli significantly strengthening their position in the title race.
League standings context
| Position | Club | Matches | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Al Nassr | 30 | 79 |
| 2 | Al Hilal | 29 | 71 |
Al Nassr lead the table with 79 points from 30 matches, while second-placed Al Hilal have 71 points from 29 matches. This places Al Nassr eight points ahead, having played one more match. With four fixtures remaining for Al Nassr and five for Al Hilal, the title remains mathematically open, though Al Nassr hold a strong advantage.
The team’s recent form has further reinforced their position. Al Nassr have recorded 20 consecutive victories across all competitions this season, including 16 wins in the Saudi Pro League, underlining their consistency.
Ronaldo contributed directly in the latest win against Al Ahli, scoring in the 76th minute with a header from a João Félix in-swinging corner. This goal marked the 970th of his professional career. He now requires 30 more goals to reach the 1,000-goal milestone.
Ronaldo’s key statistics at Al Nassr
| Category | Figure |
|---|---|
| Total appearances | 143 |
| Goals scored | 126 |
| Assists | 23 |
| Total goal contributions | 149 |
| Career goals (all competitions) | 970 |
Since joining Al Nassr, Ronaldo has registered 126 goals and 23 assists in 143 appearances, contributing directly to 149 goals in total. He has also scored 25 or more league goals in three consecutive Saudi Pro League seasons, replicating a level of consistency previously achieved during nine successive seasons between 2009–10 and 2017–18.
The match against Al Ahli also carried significant off-field context. Tension had been present following Al Ahli’s Asian Champions League Elite title win four days earlier, after which Al Nassr did not provide a guard of honour before kick-off. Relations between the two clubs had already been strained throughout the season, with Al Ahli repeatedly expressing dissatisfaction regarding refereeing decisions and alleged bias.
During the match, Al Ahli claimed they were denied at least two penalty appeals for handball incidents. The contest became increasingly heated in the closing stages, particularly following on-field exchanges involving Kingsley Coman and Merih Demiral, with tensions continuing after the final whistle.
Further incidents followed the conclusion of the match. Al Nassr’s Mohamed Simakan collected a large club flag from the stands and displayed it in front of Demiral before completing a lap of honour. In response, Demiral was seen holding up an AFC Champions League winners’ medal towards Al Nassr supporters after receiving it from Al Ahli staff.
In post-match exchanges, Al Ahli supporters referenced their side’s status as two-time Asian champions in comments directed at Ronaldo. He responded by raising his hand and stating, “I have five Champions League titles.”