Cristiano Ronaldo finds himself in a precarious position within the Saudi Pro League Golden Boot race, having scored only once for Al Nassr in the opening matches of the 2026-27 season.
Missing Al Nassr’s first two fixtures of the campaign due to an extended break from preseason training, the Portuguese forward’s delayed return has forced manager Ange Postecoglou to cautiously manage his reintroduction to the squad rather than starting him immediately.
Ronaldo made his competitive appearance during Al Nassr’s 4-0 victory over Al Riyadh, entering as a 62nd-minute substitute and completing just 30 minutes of action. In that brief span, he reached a significant milestone, netting his 977th career goal from a low cross by Ayman Yahya.
Despite this achievement, Ronaldo remains significantly behind the Golden Boot leaders. Moussa Dembele and Ivan Toney each lead the scorers’ chart with three goals, while Ronaldo’s single goal reflects his limited playing time in the initial rounds.
At 41 years old, Ronaldo secured third place in last season’s Golden Boot race, with Julian Quinones claiming the title. This year’s delayed start makes a top-three finish particularly challenging.
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Golden Boot standings after Saudi Pro League Matchday 2
Ronaldo’s current tally remains incomplete in official statistics, keeping him outside the leading group. The updated standings show:
- Moussa Dembele (Al-Ettifaq) — 3 goals
- Ivan Toney (Al-Ahli) — 3 goals
- Ruben Neves (Al-Hilal) — 2 goals
- Alexandre Lacazette (Neom SC) — 2 goals
- Abderrazak Hamdallah (Al-Taawoun) — 2 goals
- Angelo (Al-Nassr) — 2 goals
- Joao Felix (Al-Nassr) — 2 goals
- Karim Benzema (Al-Hilal) — 1 goal
- Cristiano Ronaldo (Al-Nassr) — 1 goal
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Al Nassr’s upcoming challenge against Al Ettifaq
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Al Nassr aims to extend their momentum from the 4-0 win over Al Riyadh when they face Al Ettifaq on Tuesday. Ronaldo is anticipated to earn his first start of the season in this fixture, representing a substantial increase in playing time after his 28-minute cameo.
