Riyadh: Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 979th professional career goal as Al Nassr defeated Abha 2-1 in the Saudi Pro League.
Ronaldo opened the scoring in the first half, heading home a corner delivered by Brazilian winger Angelo as Al Nassr took control of the contest. The Portuguese forward’s goal moved him closer to the landmark of 1,000 career goals.
Abdullah Al-Hamdan doubled Al Nassr’s advantage in the 58th minute before Nabil Fekir pulled one back for Abha 17 minutes later. Al Nassr held on to secure all three points.
The victory keeps Al Nassr second in the league standings with 15 points from six matches, level on points with leaders Al Hilal but behind on goal difference.
Ronaldo has now scored four goals in three Saudi Pro League appearances against Abha, according to Opta data. The 41-year-old has scored three goals for Al Nassr in the league this season.
The latest strike was Ronaldo’s 105th Saudi Pro League goal and 132nd for Al Nassr in 154 appearances. Following the match, he celebrated the victory with an Instagram post captioned, “Hard work pays off.”
