Cristiano Ronaldo once again defied the limits of football longevity on Saturday, becoming the first player in history to score 500 career goals after the age of 30. The 41-year-old marked the unprecedented feat with a brace for Al Nassr in a 4-0 demolition of Al Hazem, a performance that also propelled his club back to the top of the Saudi Pro League.
Starting the match on the cusp of history with 499 goals since his 30th birthday, Ronaldo needed just 13 minutes to etch his name further into the record books. Collecting a precise pass from Kingsley Coman, he calmly slotted home to bring up the 500th milestone in this unique category of his career.
He wasn’t finished. In the 79th minute, Ronaldo struck again to complete his brace, pushing his post-30 tally to an astonishing 501 goals. Remarkably, he has now scored more goals in the second chapter of his career than he did in the first, having netted 463 times before turning 30.
The victory was more than just a personal triumph. With rivals Al Hilal being held to a surprise 1-1 draw by ten-man Al Ittihad, Al Nassr’s win at Al Awwal Park lifted them to 55 points, reclaiming the league lead for the first time in ten rounds. They now hold a slender one-point advantage over Al Hilal, with Al-Ahli just two points further back in a tightly contested title race.
A Bisht, a Viking Clap, and a Declaration of Belonging
The post-match celebrations were as memorable as the goals themselves. Ronaldo led the iconic Viking clap in front of the adoring home crowd, all while draped in a traditional Saudi bisht. The scene was a powerful fusion of sporting achievement and local culture, perfectly coinciding with Saudi Arabia’s Founding Day celebrations.
Speaking after the match, a beaming Ronaldo expressed his deep connection to his adopted home.
“Yeah, I’m very happy,” he said. “As I say so many times, I belong to Saudi Arabia. It’s a country that welcomed very well to me and my family and my friends. I’m happy here. I want to continue here.”
With his official career tally now sitting at a staggering 964 goals, Ronaldo requires just 36 more to reach the 1,000-goal mark—a target he has publicly stated is his final major ambition before retirement.
Goals scored after turning 30:
· Real Madrid: 162
· Al Nassr: 120
· Juventus: 101
· Portugal: 91
· Manchester United: 27
The focus for Ronaldo now is to cap the season with his first league title in Saudi Arabia before turning his attention to the upcoming World Cup with Portugal. However, with a long run of fixtures still to play and just a single point separating the top teams, the Saudi Pro League title race is far from decided.
