Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr fall short of the scoring world record across all competitions after 4-0 loss to Al Ain

Cristiano Ronaldo endured a night to forget as Al Nassr were thrashed 4-0 by Al Ain in their AFC Champions League Elite opener, a result that also closed the door on a historic opportunity.

The record for scoring in 94 consecutive matches that Ronaldo’s side set earlier this month belongs strictly to domestic league play. The true world record for scoring in consecutive matches across all competitions, however, belongs to a different club entirely, and Al Nassr lost their chance to challenge it with the defeat in the UAE.

Al Nassr‘s streak reached 94 straight Saudi Pro League matches with at least one goal following a 1-1 draw against Al Khaleej on September 12. That mark surpassed the 93 consecutive league matches scored in by River Plate between 1936 and 1939, a record that had stood for nearly 87 years.

River Plate’s full record, though, extends well beyond league play. Between September 1936 and June 1939, the Argentine club scored in 96 consecutive official matches across all competitions, a run that included 93 league games, two matches against Peñarol in a joint Argentina-Uruguay tournament, and one cup match against Rosario Central.

Al Nassr’s clash with Al Ain marked their first match outside the Saudi Pro League since the streak began, giving them a shot at extending their run toward that fuller, all-competitions mark. Instead, Ronaldo and company were shut out for the first time since the streak started, ending any chance of closing in on River Plate’s 96-game record.

Al Nassr can still extend their domestic record

While the loss to Al Ain ended any shot at River Plate’s all-competitions mark, it has no bearing on Al Nassr’s domestic scoring streak, since that run is tracked exclusively within the Saudi Pro League and Tuesday’s match was a different competition entirely. The 94-game streak remains very much alive and will resume when league play returns.

Al Nassr’s next Saudi Pro League fixture comes on October 9 at home against Al Diriyah, followed by a trip to face Al Ahli on October 15, a fixture that will pose a far tougher test, and another home game against Neom SC on October 20, giving Ronaldo and company more opportunities to keep stretching their domestic record further away.