Ronaldo Scores 981st Career Goal as Al-Nassr Beat Neftchi Fergana 3-1

Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 981st career goal as Al-Nassr beat Uzbekistan's Neftchi Fergana 3-1 in the AFC Champions League Elite at Al-Awwal Park in Riyadh on Monday, October 12. The 41-year-old is now 19 goals short of 1,000, by the widely reported count.

The match started late after a security alert in Riyadh disrupted the evening. Once it began, Al-Nassr took control. Ange Postecoglou's side went ahead in the 33rd minute when Ângelo Gabriel's strike took a deflection on its way in.

Ronaldo doubled the lead nine minutes later, in the 42nd minute. Sadio Mané delivered a cross from the left, Ayman Yahya chested it down into the penalty area, and Ronaldo turned and finished past goalkeeper Botirali Ergashev. It was his 134th goal for Al-Nassr since he joined the club in January 2023. His 980th career goal had come only three days earlier, in a 3-0 Saudi Pro League win over Diriyah on Friday, when he scored from a rebound after Kingsley Coman's effort was parried.

Neftchi Fergana pulled one back six minutes into the second half. Alisher Odilov scored in the 51st minute to give the visitors hope. Their task became harder in the 65th minute when Ikromjon Alibaev was sent off for a foul on Mohamed Simakan. Al-Nassr made their numerical advantage count in the 78th minute, when Anvarjon Gofurov turned the ball into his own net to make it 3-1.

The win was Al-Nassr's first points in the 2026-27 Champions League Elite campaign, after they lost 4-0 to UAE side Al-Ain in their opening match. Al-Ain lead the table at this stage. For Ronaldo, the goal keeps him on course for the 1,000-goal milestone he has been chasing for several seasons. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner is still scoring regularly for club and country, and Al-Nassr will hope he can keep up the pace in the coming weeks.