Ronaldo speaks with subtle meaning after scoring on his return to Al Nassr

Only a few days after celebrating his 41st birthday and concluding a disputed period away from the pitch, Cristiano Ronaldo quickly left his mark with an important goal, contributing to Al-Nassr’s 2-0 win against Al-Fateh in the Saudi Pro League on the morning of February 15.

In the 18th minute of the match, Ronaldo made a precise close-range finish, opening the scoring for Al Nassr following a well-timed assist from a teammate. After scoring, CR7 moved towards the corner flag to perform his signature “Siu” celebration. Notably, he pointed to himself and then down to the ground, an action interpreted as a message affirming his role and commitment to the team. On his personal social media, Ronaldo posted a celebration photo with a brief caption: “One more step forward, let’s keep going.”

Previously, the 41-year-old striker had missed three straight games due to dissatisfaction with the club’s lack of investment during the transfer window. According to multiple sources, Ronaldo disagreed with how the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) allocated resources, while direct rivals like Al Hilal, Al Ittihad, and Al Ahli significantly strengthened their squads.

During his temporary absence from the squad, Ronaldo’s future was heavily questioned. Reports suggested he was ready to leave Saudi Arabia if internal issues remained unresolved. Tensions rose further when his former Real Madrid teammate Karim Benzema received favorable conditions transferring between clubs under the PIF system.

However, after some demands were met, including clearing outstanding staff salaries and granting more operational authority to the club’s management, Ronaldo decided to return to play. He immediately proved his worth with a vital goal.

The goal against Al-Fateh not only secured three points for Al Nassr to keep chasing the top spot, just one point behind Al Hilal, but also raised Ronaldo’s career tally to 962 goals. He is now only 38 goals away from the historic 1,000-goal milestone.

Even more notably, Ronaldo extended his streak to 24 consecutive years of scoring since netting his first goal for Sporting CP in 2002. From a 17-year-old teenager in Portugal to a global icon at 41, CR7 has never experienced a calendar year without scoring professionally.

In this Saudi Pro League season, Ronaldo has scored 18 goals in 17 matches, currently ranking third on the top scorer list. His consistent performance remains a major pillar for Al Nassr’s championship ambitions.