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

Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 981st career goal as Al-Nassr defeated Uzbekistan’s Neftchi Fergana 3-1 in the AFC Champions League Elite on Monday, moving within 19 goals of the historic 1,000-goal milestone.

The 41-year-old Portuguese forward doubled Al-Nassr’s lead in the 42nd minute at Al-Awwal Park in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, after Angelo Gabriel had opened the scoring nine minutes earlier.

According to Reuters, Ronaldo’s goal followed a looping cross from Sadio Mane on the left. Aiman Yahya directed the ball into Ronaldo’s path with his chest before the forward fired into the bottom corner with a shot on the turn.

The goal took Ronaldo’s career tally to 981 for club and country, continuing his pursuit of 1,000 career goals.

Match Delayed Following Security Alert

The match was delayed by about an hour after Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defence issued a security alert shortly before the scheduled kick-off.

Reuters reported that the delay followed security concerns amid missile threats from Yemen-based Houthi rebels.

When play eventually began, Al-Nassr took control through Angelo’s 33rd-minute opener before Ronaldo extended their advantage shortly before half-time.

Neftchi Fergana reduced the deficit six minutes into the second half through Alisher Odilov, raising hopes of a comeback.

However, the visitors’ task became more difficult in the 65th minute when Ikromjon Alibaev was sent off for a foul on Al-Nassr defender Mohamed Simakan.

Al-Nassr sealed the victory in the 78th minute when Anvarjon Gofurov scored an own goal, giving the Saudi side a 3-1 win.

Al-Nassr Secure First Points in Campaign

The result gave Al-Nassr their first points in the 2026/27 AFC Champions League Elite campaign after they opened their continental season with a 4-0 defeat to UAE side Al-Ain.

Ronaldo had scored his 980th career goal in Al-Nassr’s 3-0 victory over Diriyah in the Saudi Pro League before finding the net again against Neftchi.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner is now 19 goals away from reaching 1,000 career goals, a landmark he continues to pursue in the latter stages of his career.

His latest strike also helped Al-Nassr recover from their opening defeat and get their continental campaign back on track.