Cristiano Ronaldo once again led Al Nassr to victory in the 2025-26 Saudi Pro League season, this time against Damac FC on Matchday 17. After delivering a record-breaking performance on Wednesday, the Portuguese star shared a six-word message directed at the Saudi club.
Al Nassr entered the match needing a win against 15th-place Damac following a difficult stretch in league play. Three consecutive losses to Al Ahli, Al Qadsiah, and Al Hilal had dropped the team from first place in the standings, with last week’s narrow 3-2 victory over Al Shabab serving as a much-needed wake-up call.
On Wednesday, Al Nassr traveled to the Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Stadium, where the visitors struck early through Abdulrahman Ghareeb in the fifth minute,a and in the 50th minute, Joao Felix threaded a perfectly weighted pass to Ronaldo, who doubled the lead. Jamal Harkass later pulled one back for Damac, but the hosts were unable to find an equalizer.
After scoring the decisive goal, Ronaldo took to social media with a direct message: “Keep pushing, keep believing, keep fighting.” The forward has previously highlighted the importance of fan support this season, but the post also appeared to be aimed at his teammates, who have struggled to find consistency in recent matches.
Ronaldo and a record-breaking goal
Ronaldo has been Al Nassr’s driving force throughout the 2025-26 campaign, scoring 17 goals in 20 appearances so far. His strike against Damac carried added significance, not only pushing his career total to 960 goals, bringing him closer to the historic 1,000-goal mark, but also further etching his name into the club’s record books.
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With Wednesday’s goal, Ronaldo surpassed Moroccan striker Abderrazak Hamdallah as Al Nassr’s all-time leading foreign scorer. The Portuguese star had already passed Anderson Talisca earlier this season, but his latest finish lifted him to 116 goals in 125 appearances for the club, one more than Hamdallah’s 115 goals in 109 matches during his three-and-a-half-year spell.
What’s next for Al Nassr?
The victory over Damac kept Al Nassr in second place in the Saudi Pro League with 37 points, while also trimming the gap to leaders Al Hilal, who sit on 41 points with a game in hand. However, Matchday 18 presents another stern test for Ronaldo and his teammates.
Al Nassr will host fourth-place Al Taawoun on January 26, with the visitors holding 34 points in 15 games and an opportunity to close the gap with a win. The high-stakes matchup could be further boosted by the expected return of Sadio Mané, who is set to rejoin the squad after lifting the Africa Cup of Nations with Senegal.
