WATCH: Cristiano Ronaldo scores his 62nd and 63rd free-kick goals as Al-Nassr take early lead against Abha
Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 62nd and 63rd free-kick goals as Al-Nassr took an early lead against Abha Club in their most recent Saudi Pro League fixture.
In the 11th minute, Ronaldo launched a venomous, stinging strike from a dead ball that Abha goalkeeper Ciprian Tatarusanu could not stop, ricocheting off his foot into the net.
He then scored another freekick in the 21st minute from further out, curling it over the wall and under the crossbar as Tatarusanu helplessly watched it sail into the corner.
Ronaldo went on to add another goal in the 42nd minute, as Al-Nassr lead the tie 5-0 at half-time at the the time of writing. That goal completed his 65th hattrick across all competitions, an incredible milestone.
He also turned provider for the fifth goal scored by Abdulmajeed Al-Sulaiheem, taking him up to 10 assists for the season.
Cristiano Ronaldo's rival, Argentine superstar Lionel Messi, currently sits on 65 free-kick goals for club and country. Being only two free-kick goals behind, the Portuguese superstar will be looking to notch above Messi's tally by the end of his career.
The three goals took Ronaldo up to 29 goals for the Saudi Pro League, seven goals clear of second-placed Serbian striker Aleksandar Mitrovic for Al-Hilal. He was subsequently substituted at half-time in order to protect him from injury.
Al-Nassr still sit in second in the Pro League table, trailing unbeaten runaway leaders Al-Hilal by 12 points after 25 games. After their imminent win against Abha they will be nine points and a single game behind Hilal.
Former Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer claims that Cristiano Ronaldo's return to the club was the right decision
Former Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer claimed that bringing Cristiano Ronaldo back to the club was the right decision to take at the time.
In a shocking turn of events, the Portuguese superstar had returned to Manchester United for €17 million in 2021. In his second stint at the club, he bagged 27 goals and five assists in 54 appearances across all competitions.
He was released a year later after an explosive interview with Piers Morgan, and joined Al-Nassr on a free where he has been in incredible touch.
On paper, Ronaldo's return could be chalked off as a disappointment. However, Solskjaer believed that it was the right call, detailing his reasons as follows:
“We never wanted him [Cristiano Ronaldo] to go to City. We’d had four wins and a draw, and were top of the league in September 2021. Raphael Varane and Jadon Sancho joined, then we made that next step by signing Cristiano. It felt right. It didn’t turn out right, but it was the sensible thing to do at the time. He was available and still top level."
The Norwegian recalled the incredible season that Cristiano Ronaldo enjoyed at Manchester United that year despite his own sacking, saying:
"He made his second debut against Newcastle and that was one of the most electric days at Old Trafford ever – he scored two goals. He deserved that chance to come back. He got 24 goals in that first season. He deserves more credit than what he’s got. He was still one of the best goalscorers in the world.”