Ronaldo Nets 981st Career Goal in Al-Nassr Win

Cristiano Ronaldo moved closer to the historic 1,000-goal milestone after scoring in Al-Nassr’s 3-1 victory over Uzbekistan’s Neftchi Fergana in the AFC Champions League Elite on Monday.

The 41-year-old Portuguese forward scored in the 42nd minute at Al-Awwal Park in Riyadh, doubling Al-Nassr’s advantage after Brazilian forward Angelo Gabriel opened the scoring in the 33rd minute.

Ronaldo’s goal was his 981st in his professional career for club and country, leaving him 19 goals short of reaching 1,000.

The goal came after Sadio Mane delivered a looping cross from the left, which Aiman Yahya directed into Ronaldo’s path with his chest. The forward then turned and fired into the bottom corner.

Neftchi pulled one back six minutes into the second half through Alisher Odilov, capitalising on a defensive error to reduce the deficit.

However, the visitors’ hopes of equalising suffered a setback when Ikromjon Alibaev was sent off in the 65th minute for a foul on Al-Nassr defender Mohamed Simakan.

Al-Nassr secured the victory in the 78th minute when Anvarjon Gofurov turned the ball into his own net, giving the Saudi side a two-goal cushion.

The win marked Al-Nassr’s first points in the competition this season after a 4-0 defeat to UAE side Al-Ain in their opening match.

The match had been delayed by about an hour after Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defence issued a security alert shortly before the scheduled kick-off. Players returned to the dressing rooms while authorities assessed the situation, and the game proceeded after the alert was lifted.

Ronaldo continues to pursue the 1,000-goal milestone, one of the most notable targets of the latter stage of his career. His latest strike also helped Al-Nassr regain momentum in their continental campaign.

The club will now turn its attention to upcoming domestic and continental fixtures as it seeks to maintain its form across competitions.