39-year-old forward Cristiano Ronaldo scored from the penalty spot and produced an acrobatic header to help Al Nassr secure a 4-0 victory over Al Wasl in the seventh round of the AFC Champions League.
On the home turf of Mrsool Park on the evening of February 3, Ronaldo was highly influential—touching the ball 43 times, completing 82% of his passes (including one key pass), taking three shots, and finding the back of the net twice. He earned the highest rating of 8.4 from Sofascore and was also named man of the match.
In the 43rd minute, referee Ahmed Al Kaf reviewed the incident on video and determined that defender Salem Juma Awad had handled the ball inside the penalty area, awarding Al Nassr a penalty. From the 11-meter spot, Ronaldo executed a stuttering run-up before calmly slotting the ball into the left corner—defying the expectations of goalkeeper Anas Zniti.
Then, in the 78th minute, Sadio Mane burst down the left flank and delivered a cross into the box. Although the ball appeared to be overshooting its target, Ronaldo managed an acrobatic leap to meet it with his head, sending it crashing into the opposition’s net. The Portuguese forward—now playing alongside new signing Jhon Duran, valued at 80 million USD, and his teammates—rushed to the corner flag to celebrate, opting for a subdued gesture instead of his usual somersault.
Ronaldo’s goal tally now stands at 923 for his career, comprising 5 goals for Sporting Lisbon, 145 for Manchester United, 450 for Real Madrid, 101 for Juventus, 135 for the Portugal national team, and 87 for Al Nassr.
This season, he has netted 23 goals across all competitions, including 6 goals in 6 matches in 2025. In the AFC Champions League, he currently shares the runner-up spot in the top scorers’ list with 6 goals—tied with Anderson Lopes of Yokohama F Marinos—while Jasir Asani of Korea’s Gwangju FC leads with 7 goals.
Since turning 39, Ronaldo has scored 50 goals and provided 8 assists in 56 matches across all competitions. This match was also his final outing before celebrating his 40th birthday on February 5.
After his brace, Ronaldo was substituted in the 81st minute for Abdulrahman Ghareeb, missing out on the opportunity to record a hat-trick. Al Nassr’s remaining two goals were scored by Ali Alhassan and substitute Mohammed Al-Fatil.
In a format change similar to that of the UEFA Champions League, this season’s AFC Champions League will feature eight group-stage matches per team—four away and four at home. The top eight teams from both the Eastern and Western regions will progress to the round of 16, scheduled for March 2025.
Al Nassr, representing the Western region, currently sit in third place with 16 points after seven matches. With the Saudi club leading the ninth-placed team by 12 points, they are well-positioned to secure a spot in the round of 16 with one game remaining.
In last season’s AFC Champions League, Al Nassr were eliminated by Al Ain (UAE) 1-3 on penalties in the quarter-finals. During that campaign, Ronaldo scored six goals, ranking him third in the top scorers’ list behind Kodjo Fo-Doh Laba (Al Ain), Aleksandar Mitrovic (Al Hilal), and Cryzan (Shandong Taishan)—all with eight goals—and Soufiane Rahimi (Al Ain) with 13 goals.