RIYADH — Cristiano Ronaldo scored a sensational 15-minute hat-trick to reach 985 career goals as Al Nassr defeated Al Kholood 5-3 in an eight-goal thriller at Al Awwal Park on Thursday.The Portuguese superstar struck three times between the 66th and 81st minutes to turn a tightly contested match into a crucial victory for the defending Roshn Saudi League champions, moving within just 15 goals of the historic 1,000-goal milestone.Watching from the stands was undefeated world heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk, who was left in awe of Ronaldo’s performance.The Ukrainian boxing legend described the five-time Ballon d’Or winner as “an alien” when asked by the Saudi Pro League about the Al Nassr captain.”Great win, great team performance. Happy to help with a hat-trick!” Ronaldo wrote on social media after collecting another Man of the Match award.Despite the final score, Al Nassr faced a stern challenge from an Al Kholood side determined to end a four-match winless streak.Julien Domingues stunned the hosts with the opening goal in the 16th minute before Angelo equalized eight minutes later.Sadio Mane then put Al Nassr ahead before halftime, with Joao Felix providing the assists for both goals.However, Al Kholood refused to surrender, and Loic Essomba restored parity in first-half stoppage time to send the teams into the break level at 2-2.Ronaldo, who had seen earlier efforts ruled out, finally broke through in the 66th minute, timing his run perfectly to convert Felix’s cutback and restore Al Nassr’s lead.Six minutes later, the same combination struck again as Felix delivered a cross from the right for Ronaldo to power a header into the net.The Portuguese midfielder finished the match with four assists, becoming only the second player in RSL history to achieve that feat in a single match.Ronaldo completed his hat-trick in the 81st minute after Mane picked him out inside the penalty area, allowing the Al Nassr captain to finish clinically and claim his fourth hat-trick of the season.Domingues converted a stoppage-time penalty for his second goal of the night, but Al Nassr had already secured the three points.The victory lifted Al Nassr to 28 points from 11 matches, one behind league leaders Al Qadsiah, who maintained their advantage with a commanding 6-0 win over Al Riyadh.Tijjani Reijnders scored a hat-trick for Al Qadsiah, while Julian Quinones also found the net as Brendan Rodgers’ side continued their impressive start to the campaign.For Ronaldo, the latest treble marked another remarkable chapter in his pursuit of 1,000 career goals, bringing him within touching distance of a milestone never previously achieved at the highest level of professional football.And for Usyk, who has built his own legacy in the boxing ring, Ronaldo’s extraordinary longevity and scoring ability were enough to earn a simple verdict: “An alien.”
RIYADH — Cristiano Ronaldo scored a sensational 15-minute hat-trick to reach 985 career goals as Al Nassr defeated Al Kholood 5-3 in an eight-goal thriller at Al Awwal Park on Thursday.The Portuguese superstar struck three times between the 66th and 81st minutes to turn a tightly contested match into a crucial victory for the defending Roshn Saudi League champions, moving within just 15 goals of the historic 1,000-goal milestone.Watching from the stands was undefeated world heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk, who was left in awe of Ronaldo’s performance.The Ukrainian boxing legend described the five-time Ballon d’Or winner as “an alien” when asked by the Saudi Pro League about the Al Nassr captain.”Great win, great team performance. Happy to help with a hat-trick!” Ronaldo wrote on social media after collecting another Man of the Match award.Despite the final score, Al Nassr faced a stern challenge from an Al Kholood side determined to end a four-match winless streak.Julien Domingues stunned the hosts with the opening goal in the 16th minute before Angelo equalized eight minutes later.Sadio Mane then put Al Nassr ahead before halftime, with Joao Felix providing the assists for both goals.However, Al Kholood refused to surrender, and Loic Essomba restored parity in first-half stoppage time to send the teams into the break level at 2-2.Ronaldo, who had seen earlier efforts ruled out, finally broke through in the 66th minute, timing his run perfectly to convert Felix’s cutback and restore Al Nassr’s lead.Six minutes later, the same combination struck again as Felix delivered a cross from the right for Ronaldo to power a header into the net.The Portuguese midfielder finished the match with four assists, becoming only the second player in RSL history to achieve that feat in a single match.Ronaldo completed his hat-trick in the 81st minute after Mane picked him out inside the penalty area, allowing the Al Nassr captain to finish clinically and claim his fourth hat-trick of the season.Domingues converted a stoppage-time penalty for his second goal of the night, but Al Nassr had already secured the three points.The victory lifted Al Nassr to 28 points from 11 matches, one behind league leaders Al Qadsiah, who maintained their advantage with a commanding 6-0 win over Al Riyadh.Tijjani Reijnders scored a hat-trick for Al Qadsiah, while Julian Quinones also found the net as Brendan Rodgers’ side continued their impressive start to the campaign.For Ronaldo, the latest treble marked another remarkable chapter in his pursuit of 1,000 career goals, bringing him within touching distance of a milestone never previously achieved at the highest level of professional football.And for Usyk, who has built his own legacy in the boxing ring, Ronaldo’s extraordinary longevity and scoring ability were enough to earn a simple verdict: “An alien.”
