Ronaldo's 2026 Breakthrough: Late Penalty Still Fails to Save Al-Nassr in 2-1 Defeat
8 January 2026
Ronaldo's 2026 Goal Seals Top Scorers Lead Despite Defeat
Ronaldo, the Portuguese star of Al-Nassr, scored his first goal of 2026 and moved to the top of the Saudi Pro League's scoring chart, in a night that ended in a setback for the home side.
Al-Nassr lost 2-1 to Al-Qadsiah at Al-Awwal Park in Round 14 of the Saudi league.
His goal, a late penalty in the 81st minute, was his first strike since December 2025, keeping him one ahead of Joao Felix.
Ronaldo has been involved in nine goals in his last six home league matches, including nine goals and one assist in that span.
He converted all three penalties in his last three attempts in the league, after a spot-kick miss in October 2025 against Al-Fateh.
With this goal, Ronaldo has four penalties this season, sharing the league lead for most penalties scored with Yannick Carrasco of Al-Shabab.
Al-Nassr also leads the league in penalties earned this season with five, the most by any team.
Numbers tell part of the story, but the night belonged to a late goal that still couldn't turn the result in favor of Al-Nassr.
Punchlines: 1) If calendars could talk, 2026 would brag about Ronaldo scoring again—even if the trophy cabinet stays quiet. 2) In football, timing is everything; Ronaldo just gave the league a masterclass in late drama, with the audience politely pretending it wasn’t a heartbreak.”
