Cristiano Ronaldo made a successful return to club football on Friday, finding the net in Al-Nassr’s 3-0 Saudi Pro League victory against Diriyah. The 41-year-old striker, who has netted 146 times in 234 appearances for Portugal, marked his first match back following a high-profile walkout from the national squad during the recent international window.
The controversy stemmed from a public statement issued by the forward on Tuesday, in which he accused Portugal head coach Jorge Jesus of failing to keep promises regarding his playing time during the Nations League. Despite the off-field friction, Ronaldo demonstrated his clinical edge midway through the first half. He capitalized on a blocked shot from Kingsley Coman, firing home a rebound from close range to record the 980th goal of his professional career. And Ronaldo was there to shoot home the rebound from close range for goal number 980 in his career, kingsley Coman’s shot from outside the area was blocked by goalkeeper Waleed Abdullah.
Under the guidance of former Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou, Al-Nassr continued their dominance before halftime when Samu Costa doubled the lead. Coman secured the comprehensive win by adding a third goal with 13 minutes remaining on the clock. This result moves the defending champions level on points with the league leaders, Al-Qadsiah, who earlier maintained their top position with a convincing 5-0 thrashing of Al-Kholood featuring goals from Tijjani Reijnders, Mateo Retegui, and Julian Quinones.
