Cristiano Ronaldo once again wrote his name in history after opening the scoring in "Al-Nassr's" convincing 4-0 win over "Al-Wasl" in the quarter-finals of the second division of the AFC Champions League. The goal of the Portuguese star in the 11th minute was number 969 in his professional career – he is still 31 goals away from the symbolic limit of 1000 goals.
Convincing success in Dubai
"Al-Nassr" coach Jorge Jesus relied on a maximum offensive squad at the "Zabil" stadium in Dubai, for the first time in the tournament he put Cristiano Ronaldo, Sadio Mane, Kingsley Coman, Joao Felix and Marcelo Brozovic in attack together. The decision paid off at the beginning of the match.
Coman put Nawaf Boshall on the right flank, and the full-back crossed sharply towards the penalty area, where Ronaldo caught the ball on the ground in the far corner. The goal of the 41-year-old attacker set the tone for the first half and imposed complete control of the Saudi team over the match.
Shortly afterwards, Joao Felix executed a precise corner, after which Inigo Martinez headed to 2:0 in the 24th minute. Just two minutes later, Felix crossed again dangerously, and Abdullela Al-Amri fought in the penalty area and scored a third goal for "Al-Nassr". At 0:3, the hosts from the UAE had practically lost the match even before the break.
After the game was renewed, the guests controlled the tempo and saved their strength, and in the 80th minute Sadio Mane completed the final 4:0 after a good pass and a precise shot from a small angle. Thus, "Al-Nassr" secured a place in the semi-finals with a categorical goal difference and without conceding a goal.
On the road to 1000 goals
The goal against "Al-Wasl" made Ronaldo the first footballer to score a goal against 160 different teams in his professional career. As of mid-April 2026, he has a total of 969 goals in all tournaments – with the teams of "Sporting" Lisbon, "Manchester United", "Real" Madrid, "Juventus" and his current club "Al-Nassr".
The 2026 FIFA World Cup, which starts on June 11, could become another stage for the pursuit of the four-digit barrier. To reach 1000 goals by then, Ronaldo must maintain a pace of approximately one goal per game by the end of the season and during Portugal's participation in the World Cup.
A powerful season for "Al-Nassr"
The success in Dubai extended "Al-Nassr's" impressive run this season. The team from Riyadh leads the Saudi Pro League with 76 points after 29 rounds, with 25 wins, 1 draw and only 3 losses and a goal difference of 79:21. The team is on a run of 15 consecutive league wins – a club record that brings them closer to the title.
In the semi-finals of the AFC Champions League 2, "Al-Nassr" will face the winner of the pair of Qatar's "Al-Ahli" and Jordan's "Al-Hussein". With its current form and attacking attack, the team led by Jorge Jesus looks like one of the main favorites for the trophy – and Ronaldo continues to write his goalscoring history match after match.