Cristiano Ronaldo's apparent 982nd career goal has been reclassified as an own goal, leaving him on 981 under the accounting used by major statistics providers. The disputed strike came during Al Nassr's 3-1 win over Al Faisaly on Friday, October 23, and was initially credited to Ronaldo before being removed from his tally.
The incident happened in the 49th minute at Al Majma'ah Sports City Stadium, doubling Al Nassr's lead after Abdullah Al-Hamdan had opened the scoring in the 4th minute. Ronaldo celebrated with his trademark "Siu" after João Félix delivered a free kick into the penalty area, where Ronaldo challenged for the ball before it went in off Al Faisaly defender Andrei Girotto. Ronaldo put the ball in the net again moments later, but that effort was disallowed following a VAR review.
The referee's original match report credited Ronaldo with the goal, and the Saudi Pro League initially did the same in its match coverage. However, the league's current player statistics now list Ronaldo with 4 league goals, excluding the disputed strike from his total. Opta, SofaScore, FotMob and Flashscore all recorded the goal as an own goal by Girotto.
The reclassification affects Ronaldo's pursuit of 1,000 career goals. He had scored what was reported as his 981st senior career goal on Monday, October 12, in Al Nassr's 3-1 AFC Champions League Elite victory over Neftchi Fergana. With the October 23 strike now excluded from the major statistical counts, Ronaldo remains on 981, leaving him 19 goals short of the 1,000 mark under the modern competitive-match accounting used by those providers.
Historical comparisons to the milestone are complicated, since players such as Pelé and Romário have been credited with totals of 1,000 or more when friendlies and exhibition matches are included. Ronaldo's chase is being measured within the narrower category of officially counted senior competitive goals. His Al Nassr contract runs through 2027.
Portugal suspension and possible return
Ronaldo left Portugal's national team camp in Copenhagen on September 30 following a dispute with coach Jorge Jesus, after remaining an unused substitute in Portugal's 2-1 win over Norway on September 27. In a lengthy written statement, Ronaldo acknowledged his decision to leave the camp and said he was prepared to accept disciplinary consequences. He accused Jesus of breaking promises about his role in the team, which the coach denied having made.
The Portuguese Football Federation handed Ronaldo a 30-day suspension and a €255 fine, describing the punishment in a 28-page disciplinary ruling as adequate and sufficient for a serious infraction. Sky Sports News reported that it understood the ban would be enforced from the date of his departure, which would make him available for Portugal's November 14 Nations League match against Denmark if coach Jorge Jesus selects him. Portugal also face Wales on November 17, and Ronaldo has reportedly been included in the preliminary squad for that window.
