Cristiano Ronaldo is facing another wave of criticism after his latest goal celebration sparked controversy, with fans questioning whether he should have been credited with his 982nd career strike. The Al-Nassr captain was already under scrutiny following reports surrounding his absence from Portugal’s national team camp and the disciplinary action that followed. Now, another incident has put the 41-year-old in the spotlight, as supporters accuse the Saudi Pro League of helping him move closer to the 1,000-goal milestone.

The incident occurred during Al-Nassr’s 3-1 victory over Al-Faisaly in the Saudi Pro League on October 23. In the 49th minute, Portuguese teammate João Félix delivered a free-kick into the penalty area, where Ronaldo rose to meet the ball with a header. However, the effort appeared to take a deflection off Al-Faisaly defender Andrei Girotto before crossing the line. Ronaldo immediately celebrated with his trademark ‘Siuuu’ routine, but the defender’s touch soon became the centre of attention.

Opta, SofaScore, and Flashscore classified the effort as an own goal, while the Saudi Pro League credited the strike to Ronaldo, leaving his career tally at 982. The decision did not sit well with some supporters, who took to social media to question how the goal had been awarded.

One fan on X expressed disbelief at the decision, writing, “Oh my Godddddddddddddddd This is a scandal, oh world, they’ve embarrassed us in front of everyone. They don’t even feel shame anymore—even the own-goal that Al-Fayha’s defender scored, they credited it to Ronaldo 💀😂.I swear to God, this madness you only see in Roshn—they want him to reach a thousand goals by any means I swear to God, this league is hilarious 😂😂😂.”

The controversy has attracted even more attention because Ronaldo has openly discussed his ambition to reach the 1,000-goal milestone. Speaking at the Portugal Football Summit on September 23, 2026, the Al-Nassr forward identified a major objective he still wants to achieve: reaching 1,000 career goals. As he believes, “I know I’ll get there, but it’s not an obsession. The rest is enjoying it, but yes, I really want to achieve that milestone.”

With his career tally reported at 982 after the Al-Faisaly match, Ronaldo would need another 18 goals to reach his stated target, provided the disputed strike remains part of his record. 

Despite the criticism, Al-Nassr secured all three points. Abdullah Al-Hamdan opened the scoring before Ronaldo’s disputed header doubled the advantage. Théo Bongonda pulled one back for Al-Faisaly in the 66th minute, but substitute ngelo Gabriel scored late to seal the 3-1 victory. While the result strengthened Al-Nassr’s position in the competition, Ronaldo’s goal and the ensuing debate became major talking points after the final whistle.

Cristiano Ronaldo faces fan backlash over controversial goal

“They want him to record the thousand, and if he reaches 999, he stops scoring, waiting for a national team match and the summit, oh Nasr,” a fan added. Another commented, “Habits and traditions,” suggesting that the controversy was nothing new.

Interestingly, this is not the first time Ronaldo’s goals have sparked debate over who deserves credit. During the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Portugal faced Uruguay on November 28. In the 54th minute, Bruno Fernandes sent a ball towards goal, and Ronaldo jumped in an apparent attempt to head it into the net. He celebrated enthusiastically, seemingly believing he had made contact, but the goal was ultimately credited to Fernandes after Adidas ball technology indicated that Ronaldo had not touched it. The incident divided fans. Some initially believed Ronaldo had scored, while others felt the goal clearly belonged to Fernandes.

A similar disagreement dates back to September 2010, when Ronaldo’s free-kick against Real Sociedad deflected off teammate Pepe before going in. La Liga credited the goal to Pepe, but Real Madrid argued that Ronaldo deserved it because his original effort was on target. Pepe also supported Ronaldo’s claim. The dispute resurfaced in October 2015, when Real Madrid’s records included the goal in Ronaldo’s tally, while official league statistics continued to credit Pepe.

Another fan sarcastically remarked, “Oh, my fear, they’re going to make a statue of him in every stadium.” One more added, “By God, this is something totally illogical.”

Since joining Al-Nassr in December 2022, Ronaldo has become the face of the Saudi Pro League’s efforts to attract global attention. His arrival brought unprecedented international interest to the competition and helped raise its profile beyond the Middle East. According to the league, its matches were being broadcast in 160 countries by the end of 2024, while its social media following had grown by 205 percent. 

Ronaldo’s achievements at Al-Nassr have also strengthened his position within the club. In August 2026, he became the club’s all-time leading scorer in the Saudi Pro League era, reaching 104 league goals in 110 appearances at that point. Financially, he has also received a reported contract worth around €200 million annually, although the precise terms of his earnings have not been fully disclosed publicly. He signed a two-year extension in June 2025, keeping him at Al-Nassr until 2027.

This combination of financial rewards, sporting recognition and global influence helps explain why some fans believe Saudi football has invested so much in Ronaldo. Against that backdrop, the disputed goal has fuelled suspicions among his critics that the league is particularly keen to see him reach 1,000 career goals.