Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick as Al-Nassr defeated Al Kholood 5-3 in the Saudi Pro League on Thursday, taking his career tally to 985 goals and moving him 15 short of the 1,000-goal milestone.
The 41-year-old Portugal captain’s treble came a day after he was voted the greatest Ballon d’Or winner of all time in a fan poll known as the B.O.A.T. award, finishing ahead of long-time rival Lionel Messi.
Ronaldo had an early effort ruled out for offside before Al Kholood took the lead through Julien Domingues. Al-Nassr responded with goals from Angelo and Sadio Mane, only for Loic Essomba to equalise just before half-time.
After the interval, Ronaldo opened his account in the 66th minute following a pass from Joao Felix, added a second six minutes later and completed his hat-trick with nine minutes remaining to seal the win.
The result lifted Al-Nassr level on 28 points with Al Qadsiah at the top of the Saudi Pro League table, with a game in hand.
Ronaldo later took to Instagram to thank fans worldwide after his B.O.A.T. victory, dedicating the honour to their continued support.
The hat-trick was his first of the season and underlined his enduring scoring ability as he continues to chase the historic 1,000-goal mark.
