Video: Cristiano Ronaldo reaches 956 career goals with brace for Al Nassr vs. Al Akhdoud in Saudi Pro League

After a break of just over a month, the Saudi Pro League resumed for Al Nassr on Saturday with a Matchday 10 clash against Al Akhdoud. In that match, Cristiano Ronaldo scored two goals for his side in the first half.

Al Nassr had seen their triumphant run in the league interrupted after nine consecutive wins, when they played their last match in the tournament on November 23 before the winter break. After returning to official action on Wednesday in the AFC Champions League Two with a victory against Al Zawraa, they are now back in domestic league play.

The matchup against Al Akhdoud presented an ideal opportunity to extend their winning streak and consolidate their position at the top of the standings, as the opponent is far from being one of the strongest in the Saudi Pro League: they sit second-to-last with just one win in 10 matches.

However, the course of the game was not as straightforward for Al Nassr as expected. Their opponents were well-organized defensively, blocked the paths to the main attacking stars, and even came close to taking the lead on a counterattack that was brilliantly saved by goalkeeper Nawaf Al-Aqidi.

The Cristiano Ronaldo show

In that unexpectedly challenging context, it was Cristiano Ronaldo who stepped up to make the difference. In the 31st minute of the first half, the Portuguese forward collected a rebound inside the box following a corner kick from Joao Felix and scored the opener.

With that lead, Al Akhdoud’s defensive barriers seemed to start crumbling, allowing Jorge Jesus’s team to take full control of the game. It took just 15 more minutes for CR7 to double the advantage, this time finishing inside the box from an assist by Marcelo Brozovic.

Cristiano Ronaldo nears 1,000 career goals

Saturday’s brace against Al Akhdoud allowed Cristiano Ronaldo to climb to the top of the Saudi Pro League scoring chart. He now shares the lead with his Al Nassr teammate Joao Felix, both with 12 goals after 10 matches.

In total, CR7 has scored 40 goals in 2025 across all competitions, and he has the chance to increase that tally in the final match of the year on Tuesday, December 30, against Al Ettifaq. This remarkable output has brought the Portuguese forward closer to 1,000 career goals: currently at 956, he is just 44 away from the milestone.