39-year-old striker Cristiano Ronaldo scored a stunning left-footed goal, leading Al Nassr to a 2-1 victory over Al Rayyan in the second round of the AFC Champions League Elite for the 2024-2025 season.
In the 76th minute, Abdulrahman Ghareeb received the ball just outside the penalty area, maneuvered past three Al Rayyan players, and threaded a pass to Ronaldo. The Portuguese forward struck the ball with his left foot, sending it into the far corner, beyond the reach of goalkeeper Paulo Victor.
After scoring, Ronaldo did not celebrate with his usual aerial acrobatics; instead, he raised both arms and looked skyward. Ronaldo’s father, Jose Dinis Aveiro, was born on September 30, so Ronaldo wanted to dedicate his goal to his late father on his birthday.
This marked Ronaldo’s first goal in the AFC Champions League Elite for the 2024-2025 season, after he missed the opening match, which ended in a 1-1 draw against Al Shorta on September 16 due to a viral infection. The Portuguese forward has now scored 71 goals in 78 appearances for Al Nassr, bringing his career total to 904 goals.
At Mrsool Park on September 30, Ronaldo played the full 90 minutes, taking seven shots with three on target, achieving a 95% passing accuracy with one key pass, successfully dribbling once, and being named Man of the Match. Had he been more clinical, the 39-year-old forward could have scored more than one goal.
In the 37th minute, Sadio Mane delivered a perfect cross from the left flank, but Ronaldo’s header went over the bar with the goal at his mercy. Early in the second half, the number 7 forward entered the penalty area and struck the ball into the net, but the goal was disallowed for a tight offside call. Ronaldo also had two more excellent chances in the box, but both were unsuccessful.
In this match, Mane opened the scoring with a header in stoppage time of the first half. After Ronaldo doubled the lead, Qatar’s Al Rayyan managed to score once in the 87th minute through a close-range finish from forward Roger Guedes.
This result extended the winning streak of new coach Stefano Pioli to four matches. Before defeating Al Rayyan, the Italian coach led Al Nassr to victories against Al Ettifaq (3-0), Al Wehda (2-0) in the Saudi Pro League, and Al Hazm (2-1) in the Round of 16 of the Saudi King’s Cup. Pioli is the fourth coach of Al Nassr since Ronaldo’s recruitment at the end of 2022, following Luis Castro, Dinko Jelicic, and Rudi Garcia.
Before the international break, Ronaldo and his teammates will face Al Orubah in the sixth round of the Saudi Pro League on October 5.
