Cristiano Ronaldo Celebrates 982nd Career Goal That Opta Calls an Own Goal

• Cristiano Ronaldo celebrated his 982nd career goal in Al Nassr’s 3-1 win over Al Faisaly on Friday, but Opta has judged it an own goal.
• The Saudi Pro League credited Ronaldo with the goal and says it leaves him 18 short of 1,000.
• The 41-year-old scored days after Portugal suspended him for 30 days and fined him 255 euros for walking out on the squad.

A Free Kick, a Deflection and Two Sets of Record Books

Cristiano Ronaldo jumped highest from a João Félix free kick on Friday, ran off in celebration and performed his trademark “siu”. The record books are not so sure he deserves the goal. Opta, the stats provider used by ESPN, has now adjudged the strike an own goal.

The header made the score 2-0 to Al Nassr in the 49th minute of their Saudi Pro League game against Al Faisaly. The problem was the touch. It was unclear whether Ronaldo made clear contact with his head before the ball deflected into the net off Al Faisaly defender Andrei Girotto.

Two Versions of the Same Goal

The Saudi Pro League has credited Ronaldo with the goal and says it was the 982nd of his career. By the league’s count, that puts him 18 goals away from the landmark of 1,000. Opta’s count does not match.

Following the game, Ronaldo posted a photo of the celebration on Instagram with a two-word caption: “Let’s go!”

That makes Friday a night with two versions of one goal: one on the official Saudi record, and one that Opta credits to a defender.

Back on the Scoresheet Days After a Suspension

The timing adds another layer. Ronaldo walked out on the Portugal squad after a row with head coach Jorge Jesus. In the recent Nations League fixtures, Ronaldo played in the opening win over Wales, then was an unused substitute in a win in Norway on September 27. According to the Associated Press, he accused Jesus of breaking an agreement to play him and left the camp.

The Portuguese Football Federation had provisionally suspended Ronaldo. This week it confirmed a 30-day suspension and a fine of 255 euros, and called the punishment “adequate and sufficient”. The federation said Ronaldo fully admitted the facts behind the charges in a formal statement submitted on the Friday before the ruling. It said his confession and clean disciplinary record helped to reduce the punishment, and the fine was the maximum it could impose once mitigating circumstances were taken into account.

Ronaldo can appeal the suspension, but he had already apologised and said he expected to be punished. He had not immediately reacted publicly to news of the ban. The suspension began on October 1, the day of the Denmark game, so he had served 19 days when it was announced. Portugal beat Denmark and then Norway again without him to reach the quarterfinals. He is expected to be available for Portugal’s next Nations League match, away to Wales on November 17.

His club season has been calmer. Al Nassr’s win over Al Faisaly was their eighth league victory of the campaign. Abdullah Al-Hamdan gave them an early lead, Théo Bongonda pulled one back for the hosts, and Ângelo Gabriel added a third late on. The result keeps Al Nassr in the title race with Al Qadsiah and Al Hilal.

For Ronaldo, the goal Opta disputes still did its job on the scoresheet. He walked off Friday’s pitch with a win, a celebration photo and a milestone count that the Saudi Pro League and Opta now record differently.

WRITTEN BY

Jarrod

Jarrod Partridge is the Founder of Futbol Chronicle and an accredited journalist with over 30 years of experience following international football. A member of the AIPS International Sports Press Association, Jarrod has covered matches at stadiums around the world, bringing first-hand insight to every match report, player profile, and tactical analysis he writes.

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