Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, August 22, 2026 — Cristiano Ronaldo began his 25th professional season by scoring his 977th career goal as Al Nassr defeated Al Riyadh 4-0 in the Saudi Pro League on Friday.
Ronaldo returned to the Al Nassr squad for the first time since the 2026 FIFA World Cup and following his recent marriage. New head coach Ange Postecoglou named the 41-year-old Portugal captain among the substitutes for the match at Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium.
Al Nassr had already established a commanding lead before Ronaldo entered the game. Abdulelah Al-Amri opened the scoring in the 18th minute, Ângelo Gabriel doubled the advantage shortly before half-time, and João Félix added a third in the 58th minute.
Ronaldo was introduced in the 62nd minute with his team leading 3-0. He completed his scoring return in the 83rd minute when he controlled a low delivery from Ayman Yahya before finishing from close range to make it 4-0. The Saudi Pro League's official match commentary records the goal as a left-footed finish from the centre of the box.
The goal moved Ronaldo to 977 official career goals for club and country, leaving him 23 goals short of the 1,000-goal milestone. It also marked his 130th goal for Al Nassr in all competitions since joining the Saudi club in December 2022.
