Cristiano Ronaldo marked his return from injury in style, scoring two goals to give Al Nassr a vital win over Al Najma in the Saudi Pro League on Friday
The Portugal forward was back in Al Nassr’s starting lineup after spending more than a month on the sidelines with a hamstring injury.
– Fernandes: Ronaldo’s Man United return still gives me goosebumps
– Martinez: Ronaldo still key for Portugal despite injury absence
And the 41-year-old made an immediate impact, scoring a penalty to put Al Nassr back in front in the 56th minute before giving his team breathing room by adding a second in the 73rd minute.
Ronaldo now has 967 career goals as he continues to chase becoming the first player in history to reach 1,000.
Former Liverpool forward Sadio Mané scored a brace of his own, netting in stoppage time of both halves, as Al Nassr ran out 5-2 winners.
“It’s good to be back,” Ronaldo posted on Instagram following the match. “We move forward together!”
The win was all-important, taking Al Nassr six points clear of Al Hilal at the top of the Saudi Pro League standings, as Ronaldo chases his first major title since moving to Saudi Arabia in December 2022.
Al Hilal, who have played one game fewer, will look to close the gap back to three points when they host Al Taawoun on Saturday.
Ronaldo had limped off the pitch in Al Nassr’s 3-1 league win over Al Fayha on Feb. 28, with coach Jorge Jesus subsequently saying that it was a “more serious injury” than they were expecting.
As well as missing three league games for his club, Ronaldo, who spent time in Spain receiving treatment, was also unable to join up with Portugal for pre-World Cup friendlies against Mexico and the United States.
He is third in the race for the league’s golden boot, two goals behind leader Ivan Toney.
