Cristiano Ronaldo wrapped up the Saudi Pro League season in style, scoring twice to set a remarkable goalscoring record.
Ronaldo netted twice in Riyadh, leading Al Nassr to a 4-2 win over rivals Al Ittihad to reach a total of 35 league goals, beating the record set by Abderrazak Hamdallah of Morocco in 2019 in the process.
Towards the end of the first half, Ronaldo controlled a pass from Mohammed Al Fatil with his chest and slotted home with a precise shot from the left side of the penalty area.
With 21 minutes to play, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner scored the second and joyously celebrated as he headed in a corner delivered by Marcelo Brozovic. He was substituted five minutes later to a thunderous applause from the home fans.
Ronaldo’s season was eventful, featuring four hat tricks and one red card. In February, he was in the referee’s bad books for a gesture towards Al Shabaab supporters who were chanting Lionel Messi’s name, his long-time rival. Worth noting, the pair has continued to make headlines in the sports scenes despite leaving Europe for Saudi Arabia and the United States, with sports interaction Canada and other leading outlets still following their progress.
Al Nassr finished as runners-up in the league, trailing eventual winners Al Hilal by 14 points. Al Hilal had already secured the championship more than two weeks ago, finishing the 34-round league season unbeaten.
Al Hilal performed well despite the conspicuous absence of Brazilian star Neymar’s absence. Neymar had joined the team from Paris Saint Germain in August but unfortunately got sidelined due to a nagging ACL injury in October. Aleksandar Mitrovic took charge scoring a goal in the dying minutes to secure a 2-1 win over Al Wehda. The talented Serbian striker, who made the switch from Fulham summer ended the season with a tally of 27 league goals placing him second on the scoring charts, only behind Ronaldo.
Achieving this remarkable feat, Al Hilal set a world record for winning 34 consecutive matches across various competitions.
Coach Jorge Jesus expressed his pride in the team’s performance this season, considering it was possibly their finest yet. He attributed this success to the skills of the players and their remarkable unity both on and off the pitch.
The conclusion of Al Ittihad’s season with a loss against Al Nassr signified an average campaign for the reigning champions. Despite making big signings like Karim Benzema who struggled with injuries, and experienced midfielders N’Golo Kante from Chelsea, and Fabinho from Liverpool, they could only manage a fifth-place finish. A series of poor results ultimately led to coach Nuno Santos’ departure in November. The former Wolves manager returned to England to take charge of Nottingham Forest in the English Premier League.