Cristiano Ronaldo concludes the year as the world’s leading goal scorer, netting his 54th goal of 2023 in Al Nassr’s 4-1 triumph over Al Taawoun in the Saudi Pro League on Saturday. At the same time, he has set an ambitious goal for himself: to replicate his impressive feat in 2024
Despite facing exclusion from Manchester United by Erik ten Hag, the 38-year-old football icon has maintained his prolific goal-scoring form since joining Al-Nassr last December. Ronaldo’s exceptional goal-scoring prowess extends not only to the Saudi Arabian league but also to his contributions for the Portugal national team.
In the recent 4-1 victory over Al-Taawoun, Ronaldo surpassed competitors Harry Kane from Bayern Munich and England, as well as Kylian Mbappe from PSG and France, both of whom scored 52 goals. This achievement helped narrow the gap between Al Nassr and league leaders Al-Hilal to seven points. Following the match, the Portuguese legend expressed his ambition to replicate this impressive feat in 2024.
In an interview with Saudi outlet SSC Sports, Ronaldo said: “I’m very happy, it was a good year for me as an individual and as a collective. I scored so many goals, I helped the team a lot at Al-Nassr and for the national team. I feel good, I feel happy and next year I will try to do it again.”
This marks the fifth occasion that Ronaldo will conclude the year as the world’s top scorer, with previous instances in 2011, 2013, 2014, and 2015 during his tenure at Real Madrid. His total of 54 goals in 2023 represents his highest goal tally in a calendar year since netting 55 in 2016, a year in which he secured one of his five Ballon d’Or awards.
Looking ahead, Ronaldo and Al-Nassr are set to face domestic rivals Al-Feiha in the AFC Champions League on February 12, with a break in continental action for the 2023 Asian Cup. Ronaldo aims to propel his team to victory in the tournament, adding another significant trophy to his illustrious collection.
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