The second goal scored by Al Nassr against Al Faisaly has sparked controversy regarding Cristiano Ronaldo’s tally in the race to reach 1,000 goals, as records differed over whether to credit it to the Portuguese star or rule it as an own goal.
The incident occurred during Al Nassr’s 3-1 victory over Al Faisaly on Friday evening, as part of the eleventh round of the Saudi Pro League, turning Ronaldo’s celebration of nearing his anticipated milestone into a debate over the goal’s true scorer.
According to reports citing the match center on the International Football Federation (FIFA) website, the ball was recorded as an own goal by Al Faisaly defender André Girotto, which keeps the Al Nassr captain’s tally at 981 goals and leaves him needing 19 more goals to reach the 1,000 mark.
In contrast, the Saudi Pro League remains steadfast in attributing the goal to Ronaldo, confirming in its official match report that he scored the second goal, which raises his tally to 982 goals and narrows the distance to the 1,000 milestone to 18 goals.
The dispute stems from a set-piece delivered by João Felix in the 49th minute, which Ronaldo reached before the ball went into the net following a touch from Girotto, amid differing opinions regarding the nature of the Portuguese player’s intervention and the ball’s trajectory before hitting the defender.
The divergence is not limited to these two circulating records; Opta and statistical platforms including Sofascore, FotMob, and Flashscore classified the incident as an own goal, while reports from journalist Ali Al-Anzi indicated that the match referee’s report also awarded it to Ronaldo.
The significance of the controversy extends beyond a single goal in a match won by Al Nassr. As the 41-year-old Portuguese star approaches the 1,000-goal barrier, every single goal becomes crucial in determining the remaining distance and the timing of celebrating the milestone, and continuing record discrepancies could lead to differing timelines for recognizing his achievement.
The incident brings to mind the Portugal vs. Uruguay match at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, when Ronaldo celebrated a cross sent by Bruno Fernandes before the goal was officially awarded to the latter, after ball-tracking technology proved there was no touch from the national team captain.
For now, the picture remains unclear regarding the unification of the Al Faisaly goal’s registration; Ronaldo has 982 goals according to the Saudi record, compared to 981 according to the classification that deems it an own goal, with no declared settlement to explain this contradiction, making any talk of a permanent dismissal of the goal premature.
