Ronaldo scores and assists in 1,200th match

Saudi Arabia 38-year-old striker Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice to help Al Nassr beat Al Riyadh 4-1 in the Saudi Pro League round of 16.

After more than 21 years of career, with 1,200 matches, Ronaldo is not stopping. He scored the opening goal, then assisted Otavio to make it 2-0 for Al Nassr. Ronaldo and his teammates continue to chase the top team Al Hilal with seven points less, while the Portuguese captain continues to conquer new milestones.

Ronaldo (right) celebrates scoring with Otavio in the Al Nassr match. Photo: ANFC — Ronaldo (right) celebrates scoring with Otavio during Al Nassr's 4-1 win over Al Riyadh at Al Awal Park in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on the evening of December 8, 2023. Photo: *ANFC*

The turning point of the match came in the 31st minute, when Sadio Mane crossed the ball from the left for Ronaldo to break the offside trap and dive down with his right foot to open the score from 5m away. He celebrated his 868th career goal with his familiar spinning dance, also ending a two-match silence.

Not only did Ronaldo score, he also assisted his compatriot Otavio to make it 2-0 in the first half's injury time. Receiving the ball on the right side of the penalty area and after a few turns, the Portuguese superstar crossed for Otavio to dive down and head the ball into the far corner. After his teammate scored, Ronaldo raised his fist in the air to celebrate, then waited for his teammates to run over and share the joy.

After round 16, Ronaldo leads the list of both goals and assists in the Saudi League, with 16 goals and 8 assists in just 15 games. On average, the 38-year-old striker has a hand in 1.6 goals per game.

In addition to the home team's first two goals, Ronaldo also participated in many attacking moves. In the 12th minute, his beautiful volley in the penalty area was cleared by defender Birama Toure right on the goal line. The referee spent a long time reviewing the situation before determining that the ball had not crossed the goal line.

Ronaldo also missed a few crosses from Mane, the hosts' main attacking weapon. The Senegal star was equally impressive in this match, with a solo run on the left side of the penalty area in the 67th minute, before crossing for Anderson Talisca to tap the ball into the far corner to make it 3-0.

Al Riyadh were promoted to the Saudi League this season, and Google has yet to display the club logo. According to the Opta power index, Al Riyadh is ranked 956th in the world, 862 places behind Al Nassr. However, the visitors still scored a goal in the 68th minute through Andre Gray, which was also their only shot of the match.

That was not enough for the visitors to create a surprise against Al Nassr, and the home team scored another goal thanks to Talisca in the second half's injury time. Ronaldo significantly reduced the frequency of movement in this half, because in three days he and his teammates will continue to play the King's Cup quarter-finals against Al Shabab.

Ronaldo's career stats after 1,200 matches

Team	Battle	Table	Construction
Portugal	205	128	35
Sporting	31	5	4
Man Utd	346	145	57
Real Madrid	438	450	120
Juventus	134	101	20
Al Nassr	46	39	12
Total	1200	868	248