Cristiano Ronaldo’s influence over Saudi soccer continues to grow even during a season in which the Al-Nassr captain failed to secure another Golden Boot. Ivan Toney pushed the race all the way to the final matchday with Al-Ahli, but despite his impressive scoring form, the English striker could not erase one of the most iconic individual achievements in Saudi Pro League history.
The battle for the scoring crown produced plenty of suspense during the closing weeks of the campaign. Toney entered the final fixture knowing he had already overtaken Ronaldo in the current Golden Boot standings, while Julian Quinones was still mathematically in contention heading into the final round.
Al-Ahli closed out its league campaign emphatically with a commanding 4-1 victory over Al-Khaleej at Prince Mohamed bin Fahd Stadium. Although Matthias Jaissle’s side had already secured third place in the table, the club still delivered one of its most complete attacking displays of the season.
Ivan Toney stops Ronaldo from third consecutive Golden Boot
Even though he failed to score in the final game, Toney will most likely finish the season as the Saudi Pro League’s top scorer. His total of 32 league goals was enough to deny Ronaldo a third consecutive Golden Boot award in Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Pro League 25-26: List of goalscorers
That achievement alone represents a major accomplishment considering Ronaldo’s extraordinary consistency since arriving at Al-Nassr. The Englishman adapted quickly to Saudi soccer and became the focal point of Al-Ahli’s attack throughout the campaign.
Ronaldo’s legendary record survives another challenge
While Toney looks set to capture the Golden Boot, the bigger piece of history remained untouched. Cristiano Ronaldo’s legendary 35-goal record in a single Saudi Pro League season officially stays unbroken after Toney ended the campaign on 32 goals.
He established that historic mark during the 2023-24 season with Al-Nassr. The Portuguese superstar scored 35 league goals in only 31 appearances, surpassing the previous single-season record of 34 goals held by former Al-Nassr striker Abderrazak Hamdallah.
Last two Saudi Pro League Golden Boot winners
The achievement became even more remarkable because the superstar accomplished it at the age of 39. His campaign also included 11 assists, three free-kick goals, and an astonishing average of one goal every 75.6 minutes.
Meanwhile, second-placed Julian Quinones sits on 30 goals, but he is highly unlikely to bridge the massive gap needed to surpass the Portuguese’s historic benchmark. Even if Quinones scores against Al-Ittihad on the final matchday, needing at least five goals in a single game makes the possibility extremely remote.
