Cristiano Ronaldo Scores Hat Trick as He Nears Career Goal Milestone
The Al-Nassr forward netted three goals in a 5-3 victory over Al-Kholood, bringing him closer to the historic 1,000-goal milestone.
Cristiano Ronaldo continued his pursuit of the 1,000-goal milestone by scoring a hat trick in Al-Nassr's 5-3 victory over Al-Kholood at Alawwal Park. The Portugal legend delivered all of his scoring damage in the second half of the Saudi Pro League match, finding the net in the 66th, 72nd, and 81st minutes to secure the win.
The 41-year-old forward's latest treble marked the 67th hat trick of his professional career. Prior to the match kickoff, his career tally stood at 982 goals, and the three strikes brought his official total according to league records to 985 career goals, leaving him 15 goals away from the historic 1,000-goal landmark.
Al-Nassr faced a challenging first half that ended in a 2-2 tie after goals from Angelo Gabriel and Sadio Mané countered earlier strikes from Al-Kholood. Ronaldo's early goal in the 10th minute of the match was disallowed due to an offside ruling. After the break, Ronaldo took control of the contest, scoring his first two goals following assists from João Félix and his third after a pass into the penalty area from Mané.
Despite the celebratory nature of the milestone-chasing performance, the match also highlighted a brewing statistical dispute involving major soccer data providers. Social media accounts and supporters expressed frustration with platforms such as Opta, Sofascore, and FotMob for listing Ronaldo with seven goals for the current Saudi Pro League season, while official league records credit him with eight.
The discrepancy stems from an October 23 match against Al-Faisaly, where Ronaldo appeared to touch a free-kick from Félix before it deflected off defender Andrei Girotto into the net. While external statistics providers classified the play as an own goal, the referee's official match report and a review by the Saudi Pro League credited the goal to Ronaldo.
This single disputed strike creates a minor variance in overarching career totals, with external platforms tracking his total at 984 goals and leaving him 16 short of the 1,000 mark. Supporters and league defenders have emphasized that domestic competitions maintain final authority over their official records.
Ronaldo has previously expressed his firm desire to reach 1,000 official senior goals, noting in a 2024 interview that staying injury-free is his primary focus. Should he successfully attain the milestone, he will become the first player in soccer history to officially score 1,000 goals in senior matches.