Cristiano Ronaldo may have to wait for his 982nd career goal if a Saudi Pro League meeting on Monday rules that the Al-Nassr captain’s header in his side’s 3-1 top-flight win at Al-Faisaly on Friday was an own goal.
five times Ballon d’Or Winner Ronaldo ran to celebrate after competing with rival defender Andrei Girotto to take the touch that deflected Joao Felix’s cross off the post and in for Al-Nassr’s second goal of the game, although replays appeared to make the 41-year-old’s claim unclear.
Tariq Kayyal, the head of the league’s Compliance Committee, says officials are awaiting a statement from referee Abdullah Al-Owaidan and plan to “study all reports.”
Will Cristiano Ronaldo get Al Nassr’s goal?
While the Saudi League Pro Highlights of the game suggest that Ronaldo has been credited with the goal (the video is titled “Ronaldo scores GOAL 982”), while official data providers appear to have credited Girotto with the finishing touch.
“If we are convinced by them, we will decide whether to uphold or reject the decision, thereby awarding the target with the correct sentence,” Kayyal said of the prospects his committee will consider, via Al-Riyadh.
Pundit and former Saudi Arabian midfielder Khalid Al-Shenaif said a refereeing committee had awarded the goal to Ronaldo.
Al-Shenaif is said to have claimed that the league has contacted data providers, including experts Opta, “international platforms” and “possibly FIFA” to emphasize that Madrid’s all-time top scorer headed the ball.
“That settles the matter,” The Nasr tribune Al-Shenaif quoted. “His total is 982 goals.
“I think the Saudi Pro League, or maybe the Saudi Football Federation, will contact Opta…whose stats are published through platforms around the world, to confirm that the goal belongs to Ronaldo according to the (referee committee verdict).”
Monday morning, Opta party center for the match he credited Girotto with an own goal.
How many goals has Cristiano Ronaldo scored?
Ronaldo scored his 981st career goal in a 3–1 home win against Uzbekistan Super League side Neftchi Fergana in the AFC Champions League on 12 October.
As well as the enduring debate over whether Ronaldo or generational rival Lionel Messi is the greatest player of modern times, the Portugal icon’s status as the all-time leading goalscorer has been questioned by some who consider Pelé the greatest marksman in history.
“All (of my) goals have videos,” Ronaldo said former Manchester United team-mate Rio Ferdinand in 2024. “I’ll show people, if they prefer this player… I don’t care about that.”
When will Cristiano Ronaldo score his 1,000th goal?
Speaking ahead of the start of Portugal’s Nations League campaign in September, Ronaldo was asked if he would rather his 1,000th goal was for Al-Nassr or Portugal.
“You know the answer: for the selection,” he replied. “It would be the culmination of a beautiful story. As coach said, the icing on the cake.”
The first camp under new Portugal coach Jorge Jesus, who led Al-Nassr to the Saudi title last season, ended prematurely and acrimoniously for Ronaldo.
Having started Portugal’s first match at home to Wales, Ronaldo left the field after remaining an unused substitute in Norway on 27 September and finding out he would not start in Denmark on 1 October.
In an elaborate statement, Ronaldo said at the time that Jorge Jesus “broke his word” twice and committed an “absolute breach of trust”.
The Portuguese Football Federation have given Ronaldo a 30-day suspension and a fine of around £215 for the sending off.
With Al-Nassr less than a third of the way through his season, Portugal in less regular action and Ronaldo’s international future in doubt, his 1,000th goal is more likely to come in this season’s Saudi Pro League.
Cristiano Ronaldo net worth
On the financial web Forbes’ On the all-time list of the highest-earning athletes in a year, only boxer Floyd Mayweather eclipses Ronaldo, having pocketed around $300m (£226m) in 2015 and $285m (£214.5m) in 2018.
Ronaldo was said to have surpassed $1bn (£771m) in career earnings two years before becoming the most high-profile footballer to move to Saudi Arabia, making his Al-Nassr debut in January 2023.
Ronaldo’s first deal with Al-Nassr was widely reported to be worth £14.75m a month or £3.4m a week. His annual salary was said to be £177 million a year, made up of £62 million from his football wages, supplemented by commercial bonuses.
Ronaldo has a variety of lucrative sponsorship deals, with his recent endorsements including Whoop, video games UFL and cryptocurrency exchange Binance.
Ronaldo won the Saudi title for the first time last season but failed to top the top flight for the first time in his three seasons in charge.
Shortly after Al-Nassr finished third in 2025/26, 13 points behind Al-Ittihad, Ronaldo appeared to hint on social media that he had played his last game for the club.
He agreed a new contract exactly a month later, having scored in Portugal’s Nations League semi-final triumph over Germany and the final against Spain.
He missed three games in all competitions at the start of the year, and Real Madrid’s all-time top scorer was thought to be unhappy at Al-Nassr’s perceived lack of transfer activity.
When will Ronaldo play? Al Nassr vs Al Wasl away
AFC announced on Sunday that Al-Nassr’s home game against Al-Wasl in the UAE Pro League on Monday would be postponed.
No reason was given for the decision, however Reuters cited the intensification of fighting in Yemen between a Saudi-led coalition and Iran-aligned Houthi forces, which have recently targeted Saudi airports, including Riyadh.
The Saudi teams have traveled by road for the matches in the competition. The outlet said it had contacted Al-Wasl and AFC for comment.
The Saudi Football Federation released a statement on Sunday saying arrangements for the match had been completed, including flight permits for Al-Wasl and the club’s national FA and the arrival of the match commissioner and refereeing team in Riyadh.
The federation “affirmed its full support” for Al-Nassr and Saudi clubs in international competitions, expressing its “willingness to provide all necessary support and assistance in any legal action the clubs take to protect their rights.”
Here is Al-Nassr’s next match.
| date | Opponents | Start time GMT | E.T | P.T |
| Thursday, October 29 | Al Kholood | 18:00 | 14:00 | 11:00 |
