Cristiano Ronaldo capped his first full Saudi Pro League season in style, breaking the record for the most goals scored in a single campaign on Monday.
The 39-year-old Portuguese star scored twice in Al Nassr’s 4-2 victory over Al Ittihad on the final matchday, bringing his league tally to 35 goals.
This achievement surpasses the previous record of 34 goals, set by former Al Nassr forward and Moroccan international Abderrazak Hamdallah in the 2018-19 season.
Ronaldo, who has played for Sporting, Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus, joined Al Nassr in January 2023.
During the match, in the final seconds of the first half, Ronaldo chested down a long pass from Mohammed Al-Fatil and scored with a low shot from the left side of the area, opening the scoring despite having had two goals ruled out for offside earlier.
With 21 minutes remaining, he headed home a corner from Marcelo Brozovic and celebrated wildly. Five minutes later, he was substituted to a standing ovation from the home fans.
The season concluded in a thrilling fashion for Cristiano Ronaldo, who showcased his prowess by scoring four hat tricks and enduring the drama of a red card.
Notably, he was also suspended in February for an obscene gesture aimed at Al Shabab fans who had been taunting him with chants of Lionel Messi’s name, highlighting the ongoing rivalry between the two soccer legends.
Despite Ronaldo’s individual accolades, Al Nassr’s season fell short of expectations. The team, which included other global stars like Sadio Mane and Marcelo Brozovic, finished a distant second behind Al Hilal in the league table.
Al Nassr also failed to secure any trophies in the Saudi Cup or the Asian Champions League.
Al Hilal proved too formidable, even without Neymar, who joined the club from Paris Saint-Germain in August but suffered a season-ending ACL injury in October.
Serbian striker Aleksandar Mitrovic, signed from Fulham last summer, filled the gap left by Neymar, scoring a crucial goal in the final seconds to secure a 2-1 victory over Al Wehda and finishing the season with 27 league goals, second only to Ronaldo.
Al Hilal’s dominance was underscored by their 34-game winning streak in all competitions, setting a new world record for a top-tier team.
“This season has been truly exceptional for the team, arguably our best ever,” coach Jorge Jesus said. “The credit goes to the immense talent within the squad and the incredible sense of unity that transcends both on and off-field interactions.”
