Cristiano Ronaldo entered the pitch for the first time in the 2026/27 campaign on Friday, 21 August, and instantly edged closer to the historic 1,000-goal milestone in his career.
The 41-year-old Portuguese superstar was introduced as a substitute and played a key role in Al-Nassr securing a comfortable 4-0 win over Al-Riyadh in the Saudi Pro League’s second matchday.
Ronaldo found the back of the net in the 83rd minute, adding the final strike to bring his professional tally to 977 goals while helping his team claim their second consecutive victory of the season.
Ronaldo’s 977th goal highlights dominant display
Al-Nassr, under the guidance of manager Ange Postecoglou, controlled the game from the opening whistle and took charge with contributions from their Brazilian attacker.
Ângelo set up the first goal with a precise corner that Al Amri headed home in the 18th minute. The former Santos forward then doubled the lead just after the restart, scoring in the 46th minute.
João Félix added a third goal in the 58th minute, slotting past the keeper before Ronaldo was called upon from the bench just four minutes later.
Al-Nassr seal emphatic win with Ronaldo on target
Ronaldo wasted no time making an impact after his introduction, testing goalkeeper Borjan with a sharp effort and also trying an acrobatic bicycle kick.
The defining moment came in the 83rd minute. After receiving a pass from Ayman, Ronaldo turned away from his defender and raced off in celebration after netting his 977th career goal.
That strike wrapped up a dominant 4-0 result for Al-Nassr and brought the veteran forward one step nearer to the elusive four-figure goal total.
Al-Nassr top the standings early on
With this result, Al-Nassr moved to six points from their first two league fixtures, taking early control of the Saudi Pro League table.
Al-Riyadh, managed by Brazilian coach Mauricio Dulac, have yet to register a point and currently occupy the bottom position in the standings.