Cristiano Ronaldo continued his pursuit of 1,000 career goals after finding the net 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 forward scored in the 42nd minute at Al-Awwal Park in Riyadh, doubling Al-Nassr’s advantage after Angelo Gabriel had opened the scoring. The goal took Ronaldo’s career tally to 981 for club and country, leaving him just 19 goals short of reaching the landmark.
According to Reuters, Ronaldo’s goal came after Sadio Mane delivered a looping cross from the left. Aiman Yahya controlled the delivery with his chest and directed the ball into Ronaldo’s path, allowing the forward to strike on the turn and send his effort into the bottom corner.
The finish continued Ronaldo’s impressive scoring run after he registered his 980th career goal in Al-Nassr’s 3-0 victory over Diriyah. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner remains determined to reach the 1,000-goal mark, an achievement that would add another historic milestone to his career.
The match was delayed by approximately an hour following a security alert issued by Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defence shortly before the scheduled kick-off. Once play eventually began, Al-Nassr took control through Angelo’s 33rd-minute opener before Ronaldo extended their lead nine minutes later.
Neftchi responded six minutes into the second half, with Alisher Odilov reducing the deficit and giving the visitors renewed hope of getting back into the contest.
However, their chances suffered a significant setback in the 65th minute when Ikromjon Alibaev was sent off for a foul on Mohamed Simakan. Al-Nassr took advantage of their numerical superiority and secured the victory in the 78th minute when Anvarjon Gofurov scored an own goal to make it 3-1.
The result provided Al-Nassr with their first points of the 2026/27 AFC Champions League Elite campaign following a 4-0 defeat to UAE side Al-Ain in their opening fixture.
The latest milestone comes amid a separate controversy involving Ronaldo and the Portuguese national team.
The Portuguese Football Federation’s Disciplinary Council has initiated proceedings to investigate the circumstances surrounding the forward’s abrupt departure from Portugal’s training camp. The case has been designated urgent, with Ronaldo reportedly facing a provisional suspension while the process continues.
The development followed his departure from international duty, which attracted significant attention and prompted questions about the circumstances behind his decision.
The disciplinary proceedings remain separate from Ronaldo’s club commitments with Al-Nassr, where he continues to pursue domestic and continental success.
Despite the off-field uncertainty, Ronaldo maintained his scoring form against Neftchi, taking his career total to 981 goals. With 19 more needed to reach 1,000, the Portuguese star’s pursuit of the landmark remains one of the major individual storylines of his ongoing career.