By Faith Eze
Cristiano Ronaldo has taken another step toward setting an unprecedented milestone in modern football. The Portuguese legend scored his 979th career goal to help Al Nassr secure a hard-fought 2-1 victory against Abha at Al-Awwal Park in the Saudi Pro League. The win provided a timely bounce-back for Al Nassr after their recent defeat to rivals Al-Ittihad.
The match started with high intensity as Al Nassr looked to establish control on home turf. In the 22nd minute, the deadlock was broken through a familiar sight. Young winger Angelo delivered an accurate corner kick into the penalty area. Ronaldo rose high above the defense to connect with a signature downward header. The ball bounced off the post and crossed the goal line, marking his third league goal of the current season and his 132nd overall since joining Al Nassr.
Abha proved to be a tough opponent and responded with swift counter-attacks. However, Al Nassr extended their lead in the 58th minute when Abdullah Al-Hamdan struck a clean finish into the far corner. Although Abha pulled one back in the 75th minute through a clever free-kick by Nabil Fekir, Al Nassr held firm through the closing minutes to secure all three points.
With this latest strike, Ronaldo moves within just 21 goals of reaching 1000 official career goals. No professional player in senior football history has officially reached four digits in competitive goals. Given his scoring record across domestic league fixtures, cup competitions, and international matches with Portugal, the forward remains on track to hit the target as he continues his historic career.
