Al Nassr secured another crucial victory in Matchday 17 of the 2024-25 Saudi Pro League season, defeating Al Fateh 3-1. Team star Cristiano Ronaldo once again stole the spotlight—not just for his contributions on the scoreline but for his fiery response after having two goals disallowed during the match.
The home side approached the game with determination, aiming to claim three points against a team at the bottom of the league standings to maintain their title race momentum. In the 38th minute, Ronaldo appeared to have opened the scoring, but his goal was ruled out for a clear offside.
Moments later, in the 41st minute, Al Nassr broke the deadlock thanks to an own goal, and Mohamed Simakan doubled their lead to 2-0 shortly thereafter. Al Fateh briefly revived their hopes with a 72nd-minute goal following a mistake by goalkeeper Bento.
Ronaldo responded emphatically, adding Al Nassr’s third goal in the 80th minute with a superb finish from a Sadio Mane cross. The Portuguese star then thought he had sealed a 4-1 victory in stoppage time with a powerful strike, but VAR intervened to disallow the goal due to teammate Al-Sulaiheem being offside earlier in the buildup.
After the final whistle, Ronaldo was seen addressing a TV camera as he walked off the pitch, his frustration evident. Shortly afterward, he had an encounter with his friend and journalist Piers Morgan. Morgan expressed his disbelief, saying, “You were robbed,” to which Ronaldo replied, “They don’t like me to score goals.” Morgan labeled the situation “ridiculous.”
Despite being denied the chance to extend his career tally to 922 goals, Ronaldo remained upbeat about the team’s progress. On his X account, he shared an encouraging message with fans: “We’re not stopping.” Al Nassr currently sits third in the SPL table with 35 points, firmly in contention for the title.
Ronaldo’s pursuit of 1,000 goals
With his goal against Al Fateh, Ronaldo increased his career total to 920 goals, narrowing the gap to the elusive 1,000-goal milestone. At 38 years old, he remains prolific, having netted four goals in as many matches since the start of 2025.
Including the remaining matches in the SPL and AFC Champions League, Al Nassr has at least 19 games left in their 2024-25 season. Ronaldo, who has scored 20 goals in 23 matches this season, is averaging close to a goal per game. If he maintains his form and fitness, he could finish the season approaching the 940-goal mark, making his dream of reaching 1,000 career goals increasingly realistic.
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