Cristiano Ronaldo starts 2025 with a historic goal

Dubai: For Cristiano Ronaldo, age is just a number.

The Portuguese superstar began the new year with a goal for Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League, reaching a milestone unmatched by any footballer so far.

Ronaldo returned to action after nearly a month away, converting a penalty in his team’s 3-1 triumph over Al Okhdood on Thursday. The goal marked his 917th career strike, taking his tally to 60 goals from 60 Saudi Pro League games. In doing so, Ronaldo became the first player in soccer history to score in 24 consecutive calendar years during his professional career.

Since debuting with Sporting Lisbon in 2002, Ronaldo has maintained an uninterrupted streak of goal-scoring excellence through to 2025, cementing his legacy as one of the sport’s greatest icons.

CR7, who turns 40 in less than a month, netted an incredible 43 goals in 2024. He also ended 2023 as the top scorer of the calendar year, with an astounding 54 goals to his name.

Sadio Mane added two goals to seal a much-needed victory for Al Nassr, who rallied from a goal down to defeat Al Okhdood at Al Awwal Park. The win propelled Al Nassr to third place with 28 points, trailing Al Hilal and Al Ittihad.

Ronaldo has now scored four goals in three matches against Al Okhdood in the Pro League—two at home and one away. This marks the fourth time he has scored in his first three matches against a single opponent in the competition, following similar performances against Al Fateh, Al Wehda, and Al Shabab.

Recently crowned the Best Middle East Player for the second consecutive year and awarded the prestigious Top Goalscorer of All Time accolade at the Globe Soccer Dubai Awards, Ronaldo remains focused on delivering more goals and keeping his fans happy.