SAUDI PRO LEAGUE
Cristiano Ronaldo to end 2023 as world’s top goal scorer
Cristiano Ronaldo is set to end the year as the world’s top goal scorer after scoring his 54th goal of 2023 in Al Nassr‘s 4-1 victory at Al Taawoun in the Saudi Pro League on Saturday.
The Portugal forward’s 54 goals in official competitions for club and country came in 59 matches to beat out Bayern Munich‘s Harry Kane and Paris Saint-Germain‘s Kylian Mbappé (52) as well as Manchester City star Erling Haaland (50). None of the leading contenders will play again in 2023.
It is the fifth time Ronaldo will finish the year as the world’s top scorer, having also done so in 2011, 2013, 2014 and 2015 when at Real Madrid. His 54 goals is the most Ronaldo has scored in a calendar year since netting 55 in 2016, when he won one of his five Ballon d’Or awards.
The 38-year-old responded to the achievement with a post on Instagram, writing: “54 — I’ll say when it’s finished! Thanks, team.”
Ronaldo’s latest goal on Saturday came on the one-year anniversary of him signing for Saudi club Al Nassr after his controversial exit from Manchester United.
Al Nassr were leading 3-1 through goals from Marcelo Brozovic, Aymeric Laporte and Otavio on Saturday when Ronaldo headed in from six yards out in the second minute of stoppage time. It was his 20th goal in 18 league games so far this season.
With the win, Al Nassr stay in second place in the Saudi Pro League standings, with 46 points from 19 games, seven points behind leaders Al Hilal.
-ESPN
Former Super Eagles’ coach, Jose Peseiro is on the line to coach Saudi Arabia Pro League first tier team, Al Riyadh.
Information from the oil rich country indicate that Peseiro who had previously coached the Saudi Arabia national team is one of the two being considered to replace Odair Hellmann at the Saudi club which placed 14th at the end of last season.
It is gathered that Peseiro has a competitor in Spanish cooach, Javier Pereira who is also lineup for the job.
Peseiro had previously managed Al Hilal in 2006 and later coached the Saudi national team during their 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign.
Al Nasr’s Cristiano Ronaldo capped his first full Saudi Pro League season in style as he broke the record for the most goals scored in one campaign on Monday.
The Portuguese 39-year-old scored a brace in his side’s 4-2 win over Al Ittihad on the final matchday to bring his league tally this season to 35 goals.
The previous record was held by former Al Nasr forward and Moroccan international Abderrazak Hamdallah, who scored 34 goals in 2018-19.
Ronaldo, who played for Sporting, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus, joined Al Nasr in January 2023.
-Reuters
Undefeated Al-Hilal won a record-extending 19th Saudi Pro League title on Saturday with a 4-1 victory over Al-Hazem to reclaim the trophy from Al-Ittihad who won it last season.
Jorge Jesus’ side hold a 12-point advantage over Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr in second with three matches remaining.
Aleksandar Mitrovic gave Al-Hilal the lead from the penalty spot after 15 minutes but Faiz Selemani netted the equaliser for Al-Hazem in the 34th minute.
However, Jesus’s side took the lead again with an own goal from Ahmed Al-Juwaid in the 39th minute.
Mitrovic scored again in first-half stoppage time and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic scored three minutes later to make it 4-1.
Al-Hilal are chasing the treble having clinched the Saudi Super Cup title in April, and having reached the Saudi King’s Cup final where they will play Al-Nassr.
-Reuters
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