Cristiano Ronaldo's 2023/24 season in Saudi Arabia — his first full campaign with Al Nassr — came to an end in tears as Al Nassr were beaten on penalties in the Kings Cup final.
Ronaldo joined Al Nassr on the richest contract in football history in January 2023, but despite scoring 14 goals in 19 matches across all competitions, he could not lift any silverware by the time the season ended in May.
Al Nassr finished in second place in the Saudi Pro League, also falling in the semifinals of the Saudi Super Cup as well as in the last four of the King Cup. Individually, Ronaldo did finish in fifth place in the Saudi Pro League Golden Boot race, despite having a mountain to climb after joining in midseason.
Things did not go significantly better for Al Nassr in 2023/24 as they again finished second in the league, this time to the unbeaten Al Hilal. They were also eliminated from the AFC Champions League at the quarterfinal stage. However, they won the Arab Club Champions Cup and reached the final of the King's Cup of Champions, but lost the latter on penalties.
'CR7' started strongly with a hat-trick in just his second Saudi Pro League match of the 2023/24 campaign, and The Sporting News has tracking his goals and stats in his second campaign ever since. He ended up setting a new benchmark for Saudi Arabian league football.
MORE: Watch Ronaldo's 14 goals in his first season with Al Nassr
How many goals did Ronaldo score for Al Nassr in 2023/24?
In all competitions, Ronaldo scored 44 goals in 45 appearances for Al Nassr in 2023/24.
In league play, he had 35 goals in just 31 games, helping Al Nassr maintain at least some element of a title challenge despite Al Hilal's incredible form that eventually saw them become champions. His double on the final matchday of 2023/24 saw him set a new record for the most goals scored in a single Saudi Pro League season.
He had six goals in eight appearances in the AFC Champions League and three in four in the King's Cup.
Cristiano Ronaldo goals for Al Nassr 2023/24
| Date | Competition | Opponent | Ronaldo Goals |
Final Result |
Watch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug. 18 | Saudi Pro League | Al-Taawoun | — | L 2-0 | |
| Aug. 25 | Saudi Pro League | Al Fateh | 3 (38', 55', 90+6') | W 5-0 | Highlights |
| Aug. 29 | Saudi Pro League | Al Shabab | 2 (12' p, 40' p) | W 4-0 | Highlights |
| Sep. 2 | Saudi Pro League | Al Hazem | 1 (68') | W 5-1 | Highlights |
| Sep. 16 | Saudi Pro League | Al Raed | 1 (78') | W 3-1 | Highlights |
| Sep. 22 | Saudi Pro League | Al Ahli | 2 (4', 52') | W 3-2 | Highlights |
| Sep. 29 | Saudi Pro League | Al Ta'ee | 1 (87' p) | W 2-1 | Highlights |
| Oct. 2 | AFC Champions League | Istiklol | 1 (66') | W 3-1 | Highlights |
| Oct. 6 | Saudi Pro League | Abha | — | D 2-2 | Highlights |
| Oct. 21 | Saudi Pro League | Damac | 1 (56') | W 2-1 | Highlights |
| Oct. 24 | AFC Champions League | Al Duhail | 2 (61', 81') | W 4-3 | Highlights |
| Oct. 28 | Saudi Pro League | Al Fayha | — | W 3-1 | Highlights |
| Oct. 31 | Saudi Kings Cup Round of 16 |
Al Ettifaq | — | W 1-0 (AET) |
Highlights |
| Nov. 4 | Saudi Pro League | Al Khaleej | 1 (26') | W 2-0 | Highlights |
| Nov. 11 | Saudi Pro League | Al Wehda | 1 (49') | W 3-1 | Highlights |
| Nov. 24 | Saudi Pro League | Al Akhdoud | 2 (76', 80') | W 3-0 | Highlights |
| Nov. 27 | AFC Champions League | Persepolis | — | D 0-0 | Highlights |
| Dec. 1 | Saudi Pro League | Al Hilal | — | L 3-0 | Highlights N/A |
| Dec. 5 | AFC Champions League | Istiklol | — | D 1-1 | Highlights |
| Dec. 8 | Saudi Pro League | Al Riyadh | 1 (31') | W 4-1 | Highlights |
| Dec. 11 | Saudi Kings Cup Quarterfinal |
Al Shabab | 1 (74') | W 5-2 | Highlights |
| Dec. 22 | Saudi Pro League | Al Ettifaq | 1 (73', p) | W 3-1 | Highlights |
| Dec. 26 | Saudi Pro League | Al Ittihad | 2 (19' p, 68' p) | W 5-2 | Highlights |
| Dec. 30 | Saudi Pro League | Al Taawoun | 1 (90+2') | W 4-1 | Highlights |
| Feb. 14 | AFC Champions League | Al Feiha | 1 (81') | W 1-0 | Highlights |
| Feb. 17 | Saudi Pro League | Al Fateh | 1 (17') | W 2-1 | Highlights |
| Feb. 21 | AFC Champions League | Al Feiha | 1 (86') | W 2-0 | Highlights |
| Feb. 25 | Saudi Pro League | Al Shabab | 1 (21' p) | W 3-2 | Highlights |
| Feb. 29 | Saudi Pro League | Al Hazm | — | D 4-4 | Highlights |
| Mar. 3 | AFC Champions League | Al Ain | — | L 1-0 | Highlights N/A |
| Mar. 7 | Saudi Pro League | Al Raed | — | L 3-1 | Highlights N/A |
| Mar. 11 | AFC Champions League | Al Ain | 1 (118' p) | W 4-3 (lost on pens) | Highlights |
| Mar. 15 | Saudi Pro League | Al Ahli | 1 (68' p) | W 1-0 | Highlights |
| Mar. 30 | Saudi Pro League | Al Tai | 3 (64', 67', 87') | W 5-1 | Highlights |
| Apr. 2 | Saudi Pro League | Abha | 3 (11', 22', 44') | W 8-0 | Highlights |
| Apr. 5 | Saudi Pro League | Damac | — | W 1-0 | Highlights |
| Apr. 8 | Saudi Super Cup | Al Hilal | — | L 2-1 | Highlights N/A |
| May 1 | Kings Cup | Al Khaleej | 2 (17', 57') | W 3-1 | Highlights |
| May 4 | Saudi Pro League | Al Wehda | 3 (5', 12', 52') | W 6-0 | Highlights |
| May 9 | Saudi Pro League | Al Akhdoud | 1 (15') | W 3-2 | Highlights |
| May 17 | Saudi Pro League | Al Hilal | — | D 1-1 | |
| May 23 | Saudi Pro League | Al Riyadh | — | D 2-2 | |
| May 27 | Saudi Pro League | Al Ittihad | 2 (45+3', 69') | W 4-2 | |
| TOTAL: | 42 GOALS |
Cristiano Ronaldo stats for Al Nassr in 2023/24
The 34-match Saudi Pro League season kicked off on August 14 for Al Nassr, who also reached the group stage of the Asian Champions League with a playoff win on August 22. They were eliminated from that competition at the quarterfinal stage.
Their domestic King Cup campaign began with a Round of 32 knockout match on Sept. 24. The Saudi Super Cup began on Monday, April 8, with Al Nassr facing rivals and runaway league leaders Al Hilal, who won 2-1 in a match in which Ronaldo was sent off.
Ronaldo stats 2023/24
| Competition | Goals | Assists | Matches |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saudi Pro League | 35 | 11 | 31 |
| AFC Champions League | 6 | 1 | 8 |
| AFC Champions League Qual. | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| King Cup | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| Saudi Super Cup | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| TOTAL | 44 | 13 | 45 |