Cristiano Ronaldo struck three times in 15 minutes as Al Nassr beat Al Kholood 5-3, leaving him just 15 goals short.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored the 67th hat-trick of his career as Al Nassr beat Al Kholood 5-3 in Riyadh. The treble lifted him to 985 goals and sharpened the debate over whether he can reach 1,000 this year.
A Wild Night In Riyadh
Cristiano Ronaldo turned a chaotic Saudi Pro League clash into another personal showpiece on Thursday. Al Nassr beat Al Khulood 5-3 in round 12, and their captain scored three times. Joao Felix again partnered him in attack, while Samu Costa missed out through suspension.
The night started with frustration for the Portuguese forward. Officials ruled out his 10th-minute goal for offside against Abdullah Al Hamdan, who provided the assist. Al Kholood then struck first, with Julien Domingues scoring in the 16th minute.
Al Nassr hit back quickly. Angelo levelled in the 24th minute after good work from Felix. Sadio Mane then made it 2-1 in the 38th minute. Loic Essomba pulled Al Kholood level again in first-half stoppage time. Ronaldo thought he had restored the lead on the half-time whistle. However, officials denied him once more.
Three Goals In 15 Minutes
The breakthrough finally came in the 66th minute. Felix laid the ball off, and Ronaldo converted for his 983rd career goal. That put Al Nassr 3-2 ahead.
Six minutes later, Ronaldo struck again. Felix floated a cross to the far post, and the captain headed home his 984th. He completed the hat-trick in the 81st minute. Felix sent Mane through with a magnificent pass, but the Senegalese forward could not beat goalkeeper Yousef. Mane squared the ball instead, and Ronaldo finished.
Felix ended the night with four assists. Domingues added a late penalty after a VAR review, but the result stayed safe. The numbers back up the display. Ronaldo posted 1.97 expected goals and 3.22 expected goals on target. He won both of his aerial duels and touched the ball only 22 times. He also finished offside twice and missed one big chance. Sofascore still rated him 9.2 out of 10.
The Maths Of The Milestone
Ronaldo, 41, now needs 15 goals to reach 1,000. He sits on 985 official goals. The published schedule lists up to 13 matches before the end of 2026. Two of those are possible Portugal games in November.
The required scoring rate looks steep. Across all 13 matches, he would need 1.15 goals per game. If he plays only Al Nassr’s 11 fixtures, that figure rises to 1.36. Scoring once in every match would leave him two goals short.
Context makes the task tougher. Ronaldo has scored 27 goals in 2026. Reaching 1,000 would mean adding more than half of that tally in under two months. His return to the Portugal squad also remains unclear.
A Tough Run-In Awaits
The league table adds pressure to every game. Al Nassr now have 28 points and sit level with Al Qadsiah at the top. Al Hilal trail by one point, with a game in hand.
Those rivals appear on Ronaldo’s schedule. Al Nassr host Al Qadsiah on 20 November and Al Hilal (1.09) on 10 December. Fitness and squad rotation could also limit his minutes.
The target remains mathematically possible, but it demands a remarkable finish. A couple of braces or another hat-trick would help enormously. If he falls short by 31 December, the opening months of 2027 could provide the stage instead.
