Ronaldo scores amid Riyadh safety scare to close in on 1,000 career goals but Portugal disciplinary storm refuses to subside
Al Nassr’s Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates his first goal scored by Angelo. (Photo by Reuters) Cristiano Ronaldo continued his relentless pursuit of 1,000 career goals as he scored his 981st strike in professional football to help Al-Nassr secure a 3-1 win over Uzbekistan’s Neftchi Fergana in the elite AFC Champions League on Monday. But the Portuguese superstar’s latest goal came on a night when football briefly took a backseat to security concerns in Riyadh, while disciplinary disputes surrounding his departure from Portugal’s national team camp remained unresolved.The match at Al-Awwal Park was delayed by an hour after Saudi Arabia’s civil defense issued a security alert shortly before kick-off. The warning followed reports of ballistic missiles fired at Riyadh by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, with the Saudi-led coalition saying it had intercepted and destroyed missiles aimed at the capital. Explosions were also heard in the city before authorities subsequently announced that the danger had passed.Despite the worrying circumstances and the wait for the match to start, Al-Nassr finally played on the field. Angelo Gabriel opened the scoring before Ronaldo doubled the advantage, with the 41-year-old once again proving his ability to remain resolute in front of goal.The win also gave Ronaldo a sporting boost as he continues his pursuit of one of football’s most remarkable individual milestones, even as questions over his international future remain in the spotlight.
Ronaldo strikes again as he approaches the 1,000 goal milestone
Al-Nassr took the lead in the 33rd minute when Angelo found the net with a deflected strike. Nine minutes later, Ronaldo doubled the advantage with a superb finish that underlined his instincts in the penalty area.The move started with Sadio Mane taking a cross from the left. Aiman Yahya steered the ball into Ronaldo’s path with his chest, allowing the Portuguese striker to pounce on the turn and send a powerful effort into the bottom corner.It was Ronaldo’s 981st career goal across club and international football, leaving him 19 short of reaching the 1,000 mark. At 41, the former Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus striker is still contributing to a goalscoring record at the highest level for more than two decades.Neftchi tried to fight their way back into the match when Alisher Odilov reduced the deficit six minutes into the second half. However, the visitors suffered a big setback when Ikromjon Alibaev was sent off in the 65th minute for a foul on Mohamed Simakan.Al-Nassr capitalized on their numerical advantage when Anvarjon Gofurov put the ball into his own net in the 78th minute to restore the Saudi side’s two-goal cushion and seal a 3-1 victory.Ronaldo later celebrated the result on Instagram, posting: “An important win tonight. We keep building.”
Controversy about Portugal continues even after the national team was eliminated
Ronaldo’s return to club football coincided with a disciplinary dispute by the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF), which temporarily suspended the forward after proceedings were launched into his departure from the national team camp.The controversy followed recent matches in Portugal’s UEFA Nations League. Ronaldo was left unused in the win over Norway after warming up with the expectation that he could play. He subsequently left the team’s base in Copenhagen before Portugal’s match against Denmark, due to a disagreement with head coach Jorge Jesus over his role and playing time.Ronaldo reportedly felt that an understanding regarding his involvement had not been kept. The dispute escalated when he left the camp, prompting the federation to launch disciplinary proceedings.The FPF Disciplinary Board subsequently imposed a non-automatic temporary suspension and classified the case as urgent. The measure is preliminary and the investigation is to determine whether Ronaldo’s actions warrant further sanction.According to the disciplinary regulations mentioned in the reports, a player who leaves the national team camp without reason can face a suspension ranging from one month to six months along with a financial penalty.The relevant provision states: “Any player who, after having been legally called up, without reason leaves or does not participate in a training session, a match or any activity of the national team or anything related to the sports representation of the Portuguese Football Federation or Portugal, will be punished with a suspension of activity ranging from one month to six months and, in addition, if the player is a professional, a fine of between 5 and 10 accounting units.”The potential fallout has put Ronaldo’s international future under fresh scrutiny. The striker remains Portugal’s all-time leading goalscorer and his desire to continue representing his country has not waned. However, the disciplinary process means that the episode cannot simply be dismissed as a selection disagreement.There have also been indications that the door remains open to reconciliation, with Portuguese football officials and the coaching camp expressing a desire to resolve the situation. However, the formal proceedings leave the question of a possible final punishment unresolved.
File photo: Cristiano Ronaldo (AP Photo)
A prolific goalscorer amid uncertainty over his international future
For Ronaldo, the timing represents a stark contrast. At the club level, he continues to score goals and is closing in on four-figure career tallies. Outside of Al-Nassr, however, his relationship with the Portuguese set-up faces a difficult period following the relegation and subsequent disciplinary proceedings.So his goal against Neftchi was important not only for the result. It reinforced the forward’s continued productivity at an advanced stage of his career, while also recalling the standards he has maintained across various leagues and competitions.The security delay also gave the competition an unusual backdrop. Players and spectators had to wait for confirmation that the situation was safe before the match could resume, and the teams then had to refocus on the task at hand. Al-Nassr eventually responded by securing the three points, with Ronaldo playing a starring role.