Al-Nassr Rises in Saudi Pro League as Ronaldo Goal Controversy Settled

Al-Nassr secured an exciting 5-3 victory over Al-Khaleej at Al-Awwal Park in Riyadh during the twelfth round of the Saudi Roshn Pro League. The high-scoring fixture propelled Al-Nassr to 28 points, moving the club into second place in the standings, level with Al-Qadsiah, who have played one additional game, while league leaders Al-Hilal hold 27 points. Conversely, Al-Khaleej remained anchored on 12 points, slipping down to tenth place in the league table.

The match carried heavy drama, particularly surrounding Al-Nassr captain Cristiano Ronaldo. Referee Khalid Al-Turais initially disallowed two goals scored by the Portuguese star for offside during the first half. Both decisions drew immediate objections from Ronaldo, who was eager to make an early impact in the encounter.

Following the match, refereeing expert Abdullah Al-Qahtani supported the officiating crew's calls during an appearance on the Saudi network "Thmanyah." Al-Qahtani explained that semi-automated offside technology correctly verified that Ronaldo was offside during the build-up to his first-half strikes, confirming that the disallowed efforts strictly followed the laws of the game.

Despite the early setbacks, Al-Nassr's relentless attacking performance ensured the disallowed brace did not derail their ambitions. The team pressed forward to net five goals, overcoming the officiating controversy and securing crucial points in the ongoing title race.

In a separate development concerning the Saudi Pro League, Al-Nassr received welcome news regarding an earlier fixture. Hours before the clash with Al-Khaleej, Saudi journalist Abdulaziz Al-Muraisel confirmed that the compliance committee of the league association officially settled its stance on Al-Nassr's second goal from their previous 3-1 victory over Al-Fayha.

During that match at Al-Majma'ah Sports City stadium, Ronaldo scored in the 49th minute by heading home a free-kick cross delivered by teammate Joao Felix. Subsequent debates on social media suggested the play should have been recorded as an own goal by Al-Fayha defender Andre Jyroto.

However, the league association's compliance committee reviewed every official step, including corresponding directly with the match referee, to verify the scorer. Al-Muraisel reported that the goal was officially credited to Ronaldo and that the Al-Nassr captain was informed personally of the decision.

With the goal officially added to his record, Ronaldo's career tally stands at 982 goals. This milestone holds immense personal significance for the forward, leaving him just 18 goals away from reaching the historic 1,000-goal mark.