A fluke goal by Cristiano Ronaldo was not enough for Al-Nassr to maintain their perfect start to the Saudi Pro League season as they dropped two points away at Al-Ettifaq in their final fixture of 2025.
Ronaldo scored the 957th goal of his senior career in the 67th minute when a powerful shot from Joao Felix deflected off the 40-year-old’s back and looped into the net.
Video: Watch Cristiano Ronaldo freak goal vs Al-Ettifaq
RONALDOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OMG WHAT A GOAL
957 CAREER GOALS FOR THE GOAT CRISTIANO RONALDO
pic.twitter.com/AfoAyWjzsr— fan (@NoodleHairCR7)
December 30, 2025
That goal put Al-Nassr 2-1 ahead after Georginio Wijnaldum had earlier opened the scoring for the hosts and Felix had drawn the league leaders level.
However, Al-Ettifaq went on to claim a 2-2 draw after Wijnaldum struck again to level the scores with 10 minutes remaining.
Al-Nassr lose 100% Saudi Pro League record
This was Al-Nassr’s 11th game of the 2025/26 Saudi Pro League season. They had won their first 10 matches, putting them on course to set a new Saudi Pro League points record.
Tuesday’s draw saw their points-per-game average drop from 3.00 to 2.82 — but that still matches the record pace set by Al-Hilal during their unbeaten title-winning campaign in 2023/24.
Cristiano Ronaldo ends 2025 with 33 club goals
Ronaldo’s goal on Tuesday night was his 33rd and final club strike of 2025.
That is three fewer than his 2024 tally of 36 goals for Al-Nassr. Ronaldo’s most prolific calendar year in terms of club goals remains 2013, when he bagged 59 for Real Madrid.
Ronaldo’s Real Madrid record was recently matched by Kylian Mbappe, who scored 59 club goals in 2025 — including six against Barcelona.
Cristiano Ronaldo won’t retire until he has 1,000 goals
Ronaldo was named the Best Middle East Player at the Globe Soccer Awards in Dubai last week. Speaking after collecting his prize, Ronaldo vowed that he will not retire until he has scored at least 1,000 goals.
The Portuguese icon, who is now just 43 goals away from that landmark, said: “It’s hard to continue playing, but I am motivated.
“My passion is high and I want to continue. It doesn’t matter where I play, whether in the Middle East or Europe. I always enjoy playing football and I want to keep going.
“You know what my goal is. I want to win trophies and I want to reach that number [1,000 goals] that you all know. I will reach the number for sure, if no injuries.”
Ronaldo had told Piers Morgan during an interview less than a month earlier that he planned to retire from football “soon”.
“I think I will be prepared,” he said. “It will be tough, of course. I will probably cry.”
Ronaldo is expected to be called up by Portugal for the 2026 World Cup. After Ronaldo was sent off for the 13th time in his career during a 2-0 defeat by Ireland in November, he was originally due to be suspended for Portugal’s opening two group games at the World Cup.
However, he is now available after his ban was reduced — a decision which resulted in fans accusing FIFA of offering Ronaldo special treatment.
FootballBlog.co.uk recently simulated the entire 2026 World Cup. Portugal were knocked out in the quarter-finals in the simulation.
