Ronaldo leaves criticism behind with 980th goal for Al‑Nassr

With a goal in the 23rd minute, the 41‑year‑old Cristiano Ronaldo leaves the storm surrounding his departure from Portugal behind and confirms his worth for Al‑Nassr. It was the opening goal against Diriyah and brings his career total to 980 goals, still twenty away from the legendary thousand.

Return to the pitch

Ronaldo started the match in the lineup and responded immediately to a rebound, slotting in the 1‑0. An earlier attempt with a fine chip was disallowed for offside, but the valid goal set the tone for the rest of the evening.

Al‑Nassr supporters showed their support already in the seventh minute with a gigantic banner that read: “Greatness is earned”. The gesture underscored the bond between the star player and the fans, who ignored the controversy surrounding his national team role.

Conflict with Portugal

The week leading up to the match was dominated by a dispute with national team coach Jorge Jesus. Ronaldo left Portugal’s training camp out of frustration over his limited playing time; he spent ninety minutes on the bench against Norway and came on earlier as a substitute against Wales.

In an extensive statement Ronaldo accused Jesus of “not letting someone of the stature of Pelé and Maradona fall”. Jesus responded that the situation was a misunderstanding that could be resolved and kept the door open for a possible return.

Despite the tensions Ronaldo declared that he would not return to the national team as long as Jesus remains coach, a stance that was confirmed by CNN Portugal.

With the 980th goal Ronaldo continues the race toward the thousand‑goal mark. His celebratory celebration with the signature “siuuuu” and a sip of a drink on the sidelines underscored his undiminished confidence.