The veteran Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo made a powerful impact in only his third appearance in the Saudi Pro League, scoring four goals in a 4-0 victory over Al Wahda in the sixteenth round, keeping his team Al Nassr at the top with a goal difference ahead of Al Shabab, who also won 4-2 against Al Batin. After opening his scoring in Saudi Arabia with a late equalizer from a penalty against Al Fateh in the previous round, Ronaldo struck four times on Thursday just days after celebrating his 38th birthday.
With this quadruple, Ronaldo kept Al Nassr at the top of the standings with 37 points, leading on goal difference ahead of Al Shabab, who have played one more match than their rival. Al Ittihad could also catch up with them if they win on Friday against Al Adalah. Al Nassr's French coach Rudi Garcia expressed his satisfaction with the performance of both his team and the Portuguese star, saying, "It was a happy night with Ronaldo's goals and Al Nassr's comprehensive victory over Al Wahda."
He added, "Cristiano needed to adjust to his teammate Abdulrahman Ghareeb and the rest of the team in general. Ronaldo needed match rhythm after the World Cup and the end of the Portuguese national team’s campaign. I am very happy with his brilliance and adaptation."
Ronaldo opened his scoring in the 21st minute after breaking the offside trap following a through ball from Abdulrahman Ghareeb. He added the second in the 40th minute with a pass from Sami Khalil Al Naji in a match where Brazilian Anderson Talisca was notably absent due to his red card against Al Fateh. After scoring his third from a penalty in the 53rd minute, Ronaldo completed the "super hat-trick" when he followed up on a shot saved by goalkeeper Abdulquddus Atiyah, sending it into the net in the 61st minute.
Ronaldo expressed his happiness after the match, saying, "Thank you for the warm welcome from the fans. The team was good tonight, and we managed to get the victory, and of course, I am happy for the team and also for scoring today." He added, "I am very happy to help my teammates achieve victory over Al Wahda, and I also enjoy scoring goals."
Ronaldo has now scored 5 goals in three matches in the Saudi League, bringing his total to 503 goals across all leagues he has played in throughout his career so far. He has registered 11 "super hat-tricks" during his club and Portuguese national team career and reached his 61st "hat-trick."
