Ronaldo’s new slam dunk celebration steals show as Al Nassr go top after scoring 5 against Al Najma

Cristiano Ronaldo moved one step closer to his dream of 1,000 career goals with another goal for Al Nassr on Wednesday in the Saudi Pro League.

The Portuguese star scored in Al Nassr’s dominant 5-0 win over Al Najma SC and even surprised fans with a brand new goal celebration. That was one of the main highlights of this game.

Ronaldo unveils new celebration

Ronaldo opened the scoring in the 7th minute from the penalty spot. Calm and confident as always, he sent the goalkeeper the wrong way to give his side an early lead.

But instead of his famous “Siuuu” celebration, Ronaldo produced a basketball style slam dunk gesture. The new move quickly went viral on social media, with fans enjoying every moment of it. Even at 41, he continues to mesmerize people and find new ways to stay in the spotlight.

However, despite the big scoreline, Ronaldo was unable to add to his tally from open play against the weakest side in the league. His only goal of the night came from the penalty spot, and some will argue he would have hoped for more in open play against a team struggling at the bottom of the table.

Some fans believe the celebration was not random at all

There is a growing view on social media that Ronaldo’s basketball style dunk was a cheeky response to Ruben Neves’ recent remarks about players “playing basketball” in the Saudi Pro League, referring to handball incidents that he felt were being ignored by referees.

Match Report: Al Najma SC 0-5 Al Nassr

As expected, the match at Al Najma Club Stadium was one sided from the start. League leaders Al Nassr showed their quality against the team sitting bottom of the table.

After Ronaldo’s early penalty, Al Nassr stayed in complete control.

Kingsley Coman doubled the lead in the 31st minute with a neat finish. Defender Iñigo Martínez then made it 3-0 in the 42nd minute to put the game beyond doubt before half time.

Sadio Mane added the fourth goal in the 52nd minute, calmly finishing after receiving a pass from Cristiano Ronaldo inside the box. Martínez, who played as a full back in the game, completed his brace in the 80th minute, putting the final touch on a perfect night for the visitors

Al Najma, who have just 8 points this season, never looked capable of mounting a comeback. It was all about damage limitation for them.

The race to 1,000 and the title battle

The goal took his official career tally to 965, leaving him just 35 goals short of the historic 1000 mark. Ronaldo now has 21 goals in 21 league matches this season and remains firmly in the Golden Boot race as well. Ivan Toney is still leading the scoring charts, but Ronaldo is only two goals behind him.

The win keeps Al Nassr at the top of the Saudi Pro League with 58 points. They are two points ahead of Al Ahli and three clear of Al Hilal, making the title race very tight.

With 11 matches still to play, Al Nassr will believe this could finally be their season. But there are still many twists and turns ahead before the campaign comes to an end.