Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr took a decisive step towards claiming the 2025–26 Saudi Pro League title with a 2-0 victory over Al Ahli on Wednesday, April 29 in a high-intensity clash that delivered both late goals and post-match flashpoints.
The game was tightly contested, with both sides scoreless deep into the second half before Ronaldo broke the deadlock with a leaping header in the 76th minute. The 41-year-old scored the 970th goal of his career to hand Al Nassr the lead before Kingsley Coman sealed the result with a thumping volley in the 90th minute.
Here's a look at Ronaldo scoring his 970th career goal, taking him a step closer in his pursuit of the 1000-goal mark.
The win lifted Al Nassr to 79 points from 30 matches, opening up an eight-point gap over Al Hilal who have played a game less, and placing them within touching distance of the league title with only four games remaining.
The win however, was overshadowed as tensions spilled over late in the game. In the 98th minute, Coman's heavy challenge on Al Ahli defender Merih Demiral triggered a heated confrontation involving players from both sides.
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That anger carried on beyond the final whistle, with players and staff from both sides involved in heated exchanges near the touchline. Officials and support staff stepped in to separate the groups as the situation escalated.
Demiral was later seen walking around the Al Nassr stadium, showing off his ACL Champions League Elite medal to the fans. Al Ahli sealed back-to-back ACL CL Elite titles earlier this week.
The Turkish defender was visibly frustrated by what happened in the game and according to him, what has been happening in the Saudi Pro League. Walking into the mixed zone after the game, Demiral displayed bruising on his legs and went on to accuse match officials of favouring Al Nassr.
“This is a disgrace. They are helping Al Nassr so that they can win the league. Look at my legs,” he said.
Ronaldo's Five UCL Response And Interview
The post-match tension extended to the stands as Al Ahli supporters attempted to provoke Ronaldo by referencing to their AFC Champions League Elite success, chanting about their continental titles. Ronaldo responded by addressing the away fans at the start of his post-match interview saying, "I have five Champions Leagues."
Ronaldo then went on to criticise what he described as a growing culture of complaints within the league. "This is not good for the league. Everyone is complaining… this is football, it's not a war,” he said. “At the end of the season, I will speak out because I see several bad things."
There has been growing unrest within the Al Ahli camp, with players like Ivan Toney and Galeno having publicly questioned refereeing decisions with social media posts in recent weeks.
The result leaves Al Nassr firmly in control of the SPL title race. Their eight-point lead over Al Hilal provides a significant cushion heading into the final stretch, while Al Ahli see their faint hopes of making a late run end with this defeat.
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