Controversy surrounds Ronaldo’s 982nd goal—is it truly his?

Cristiano Ronaldo is racing toward the 1,000-goal milestone. However, a goal credited to him during Al-Nassr’s victory over Al-Faisaly has sparked controversy. While the Saudi Pro League has recorded the goal in Ronaldo’s name, the football statistics and analysis firm Opta has classified it as an own goal.

Every goal in his career is currently of great significance to Cristiano Ronaldo, as the Portuguese superstar aims to reach the historic milestone of 1,000 career goals. Yet, his latest goal—a step toward that target—has become a subject of debate: was it truly his, or was it an own goal by an opposing defender?

According to a report by *Prothom Alo*, there is a discrepancy between the Saudi Pro League and Opta regarding the goal scored against Al-Faisaly. The league authorities have credited the goal to Ronaldo, whereas Opta’s analysis categorizes it as an own goal.

What happened during the match?

The incident occurred in the 49th minute of the match against Al-Faisaly. Ronaldo, 41, leaped high to attempt a header from a free-kick delivered by João Félix; however, it remains unclear whether he actually made clear contact with the ball.

The ball subsequently struck Al-Faisaly defender Andrei Girotto before finding the back of the net. Following the goal, Ronaldo celebrated with his signature "Siu" celebration.

Although the Saudi Pro League has officially credited the goal to Ronaldo, Opta has deemed it an own goal, leading to a dispute over its official attribution.

How far is he from 1,000 goals?

According to the Saudi Pro League’s records, the goal against Al-Faisaly marks the 982nd of Ronaldo’s career. By this count, he needs just 18 more goals to reach the 1,000-goal milestone.

However, if the goal is ultimately classified as an own goal, it could alter the tally of Ronaldo’s personal career goal count. This is why the controversy surrounding the validity of the goal has gained such significance.

After the match, Ronaldo posted a photo of his goal celebration on Instagram, with the caption, "Let’s keep going!" Despite the debate over whether the goal should count, there was no sign of any doubt in his celebration on the pitch.

A Commanding Win for Al-Nassr

Regardless of the controversy, Al-Nassr emerged victorious. Abdullah Al-Hamdan gave the team an early lead, and Ronaldo’s contentious goal early in the second half extended the advantage to 2–0.

Theo Bongonda later pulled one back for Al-Faisaly, but a late goal from Angelo Gabriel secured a 3–1 win for Al-Nassr.

With this victory, the team remains firmly in the hunt for the Saudi Pro League title. Al-Nassr currently sits in second place with 25 points from 10 matches—two points behind the league leaders, Al-Hilal.

It remains to be seen how the controversy surrounding Ronaldo’s goal will ultimately be resolved; for a star closing in on the 1,000-goal milestone, the official recognition of every single goal is of great importance.