Cristiano Ronaldo, instrumental at Al Nassr, surges into RSL history books

Cristiano Ronaldo is no stranger to setting records and, in Roshn Saudi League Matchweek 32, the Portuguese star added yet another.

On Friday night, in the RSL’s latest Riyadh derby, the Al Nassr captain needed less than 25 seconds to mark his mark, assisting compatriot Otavio to open the scoring against capital rivals Al Hilal.

The touch-and-short-pass at Al Awwal Park not only set his side on their way to an early lead against the newly crowned RSL champions - the match eventually finished 1-1 - but it lifted Ronaldo into the league’s history books.

Enjoying a superb season individually, the Al Nassr captain leads the 2023-24 scoring charts on 33 goals. However, when added to his 11 assists, it means Ronaldo has now more goal contributions (goals and assists) in a single RSL campaign than any player who has plied his trade in the Saudi Arabian top flight.

With 44 goal contributions, Ronaldo surpassed Abderrazak Hamdallah’s tally of 43, achieved in the 2018-19 campaign. As a quirk of fate, the now-Al Ittihad striker was at the time representing Al Nassr, also.

Here’s the revised top six for goal contributions in RSL history, with Ronaldo now perched firmly at the summit.

Cristiano Ronaldo - 44 (Al Nassr, 2023-24)

Abderrazak Hamdallah - 43 (Al Nassr, 2018-19)

Aleksandar Mitrovic - 32 (Al Hilal, 2023-24)

Abderrazak Hamdallah - 32 (Al Nassr, 2019-20)

Bafetimbi Gomis - 31 (Al Hilal, 2019-20)

Odion Ighalo - 29 (Al Shabab and Al Hilal, 2021-22)