Cristiano Ronaldo nets his 980th career goal as Al-Nassr thrash Diriyah 3-0

Cristiano Ronaldo moved within 20 goals of the 1,000-career-goal milestone after scoring as Al-Nassr defeated Diriyah 3-0 in the Saudi Pro League on Friday.

The 41-year-old Portuguese captain opened the scoring in the 23rd minute at Al-Awwal Park in Riyadh, pouncing on a rebound after goalkeeper Waleed Abdullah parried Kingsley Coman’s powerful effort.

The strike was Ronaldo’s 980th career goal for club and country, taking him another step towards the landmark he has been pursuing as he continues his career in Saudi Arabia. It was also his fourth goal in the league this season, according to World Soccer Talk.

Al-Nassr doubled their advantage in the 35th minute when Samú Costa headed home João Félix’s corner, giving the hosts a two-goal lead before half-time.

The hosts maintained their advantage after the break, with Coman adding a third goal in the 77th minute following a swift counterattack led by Sadio Mané, according to the match details supplied.

The victory came as Ronaldo returned to club action following a turbulent international break with Portugal, having left the national team’s camp amid reports of a disagreement with head coach Jorge Jesus.

Ronaldo later addressed the situation in a statement, reaffirming his intention to continue representing Portugal. His return to Al-Nassr shifted the focus back to his pursuit of the 1,000-goal milestone.

The result strengthened Al-Nassr’s position in the Saudi Pro League title race after they entered the fixture with 16 points from their opening seven matches.

For Ronaldo, the goal provided another reminder of his continued scoring output as he closes in on a landmark that has become one of the major talking points of the later stages of his career, TalkSport reported.