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Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 981st career goal as Al-Nassr defeated Neftchi Fergana of Uzbekistan 3-1 in the AFC Champions League Elite on Monday.
The 41-year-old Portuguese striker scored in the 42nd minute to double Al-Nassr’s lead in the match played at Al-Awwal Park in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Angelo Gabriel had opened the scoring for the Saudi team in the 33rd minute before Ronaldo extended the lead just before half-time.
Ronaldo’s goal came after Sadio Mané delivered a cross from the left, which Aiman Yahya controlled with his chest into the striker’s path before the Portuguese captain fired into the bottom corner.
The goal took Ronaldo’s career total to 981, leaving him 19 goals away from the 1,000 goal mark for club and country.
Security warning delays startup
The match was delayed by around an hour following a security alert issued by Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defense shortly before the scheduled kick-off.
According to Reuters, the delay is due to security concerns related to missile threats from Yemen-based Houthi rebels.
When the game finally started, Al-Nassr took control thanks to Angelo’s opener before Ronaldo doubled the lead.
Neftchi Fergana reduced the deficit six minutes into the second half through Alisher Odilov, raising hopes of a comeback.
However, the visitors’ chances suffered a setback in the 65th minute when Ikromjon Alibaev was sent off for a foul on Mohamed Simakan.
Al-Nassr subsequently secured the victory in the 78th minute after Anvarjon Gofurov scored an own goal to make it 3-1.
The victory strengthens Al-Nassr’s campaign
The result gave Al-Nassr their first points in the 2026/27 AFC Champions League Elite season following a 4-0 defeat to UAE side Al-Ain in their opening match.
Ronaldo came on after scoring his 980th career goal in Al-Nassr’s 3-0 win over Diriyah in the Saudi Pro League on Friday.
He opened the scoring in that match in the 23rd minute at Al-Awwal Park, converting a rebound after goalkeeper Waleed Abdullah saved Kingsley Coman’s shot.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner is now 19 goals away from the 1,000 goal milestone as he continues his quest for one of football’s greatest individual goalscoring records.
His latest goal also helped Al-Nassr return to winning ways in continental competitions after their disappointing opening defeat.
