Forty at Forty: Ronaldo Reaches 40 Goals for the 14th Time in His Career

Cristiano Ronaldo continues to defy the natural laws of footballing age. At 40 years old, when most players have long since faded into retirement or ceremonial roles, the Portuguese superstar is still rewriting record books with astonishing regularity. On Saturday night, under the floodlights of Al Awwal Park, Ronaldo delivered yet another masterclass, scoring twice in Al Nassr’s commanding 3–0 victory over Al Akhdoud in the Saudi Super League.

Those two goals carried significance far beyond the scoreline. They took Ronaldo to 40 goals across all competitions in the current calendar year, a remarkable milestone made even more extraordinary by his age. It marks the 14th different year of his career in which he has scored at least 40 goals, a feat that underlines both his longevity and relentless consistency at the highest levels of professional football.

Ronaldo first reached the 40-goal landmark back in 2010, during his peak years in Europe. Since then, with the sole exception of 2019, he has achieved the same benchmark year after year—across leagues, continents, and tactical systems. With Al Nassr still scheduled to face Al Ettifaq on 30 December, the tally may yet rise further before the year draws to a close.

The brace against Al Akhdoud also pushed Ronaldo closer to another long-cherished ambition: the 1,000-goal mark in professional football. His career total now stands at 956 goals, placing that once-unthinkable milestone firmly within reach.

From the opening whistle, Al Nassr controlled proceedings in front of a packed and jubilant home crowd. Despite sustained pressure, the breakthrough arrived only in the 31st minute, when João Félix’s corner caused chaos inside the penalty area. Ronaldo, ever alert, reacted first and guided the ball into the net with trademark assurance.

He wasted no time adding his second. Just two minutes after the restart, Marcelo Brozović threaded a perfectly weighted pass into the box, which Ronaldo finished with a sublime back-heel, doubling Al Nassr’s advantage. Al Akhdoud never recovered, and in stoppage time (94th minute), João Félix sealed the result with the third goal.

The victory strengthened Al Nassr’s grip on the top of the league table. After 11 matches, they sit on 30 points, having recorded 10 consecutive league wins—a first in the club’s history.

Ronaldo’s performance earned him the Man of the Match award, and his league tally for the season now stands at 12 goals. Following the match, he shared a succinct message with his 105 million followers on X: “There is only one path to success—hard work.” Few careers illustrate that truth more vividly than his.

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