Ronaldo Scores 981st Career Goal as Al-Nassr Secure Victory

Cristiano Ronaldo took another step towards the historic 1,000-goal milestone after scoring his 981st career goal in Al-Nassr’s 3-1 victory over Uzbekistan’s Neftchi Fergana in the AFC Champions League Elite on Monday. The 41-year-old Portuguese superstar found the back of the net in the 42nd minute, extending Al-Nassr’s advantage after Angelo Gabriel had opened the scoring in the 33rd minute at Al-Awwal Park in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. According to Reuters, Ronaldo’s goal came from a well-coordinated attacking move involving former Liverpool forward Sadio Mane and Aiman Yahya. Mane delivered a lofted cross from the left flank, which Yahya controlled with his chest before directing the ball towards Ronaldo. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner reacted swiftly, striking on the turn to send the ball into the bottom corner. The goal increased Ronaldo’s career tally to 981, leaving him just 19 goals away from becoming the first player to reach 1,000 official career goals. The encounter, however, did not begin as scheduled, with kick-off delayed by approximately one hour following a security warning issued by Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defence. Reuters reported that the postponement was linked to security concerns arising from missile threats involving Yemen-based Houthi rebels. When proceedings eventually got underway, Al-Nassr quickly established control, with Angelo breaking the deadlock before Ronaldo doubled the hosts’ lead shortly before the interval. Neftchi Fergana attempted to fight back after the restart, with Alisher Odilov reducing the deficit six minutes into the second half. However, the visitors suffered a major setback in the 65th minute when Ikromjon Alibaev received a red card following a foul on Mohamed Simakan. Al-Nassr capitalised on their numerical advantage and restored their two-goal cushion in the 78th minute when Anvarjon Gofurov inadvertently turned the ball into his own net, sealing a 3-1 victory for the Saudi Arabian side. The result marked Al-Nassr’s first points of the 2026/27 AFC Champions League Elite campaign, following a disappointing 4-0 defeat to UAE club Al-Ain in their opening fixture. Ronaldo, who had previously registered his 980th career goal during Al-Nassr’s 3-0 triumph over Diriyah, continued his impressive scoring form with another decisive contribution. With 981 goals now credited to his illustrious career for club and country, the Portuguese football icon remains firmly focused on achieving the unprecedented 1,000-goal landmark.