Ronaldo nets 15-minute hat-trick as Al Nassr beat Al Kholood 5-3; B.O.A.T. winner moves to 985 goals

Cristiano Ronaldo scored a 15-minute hat-trick to move his career total to 985 as Al Nassr defeated Al Kholood 5-3 in the Saudi Pro League on Thursday, days after being named the inaugural B.O.A.T. award winner. The Portuguese forward completed the treble in the second half to secure the victory.

The 41-year-old was announced as the winner of the inaugural B.O.A.T. (Ballon d'Or of All Time) award, with his 2008 Ballon d'Or-winning season at Manchester United beating Lionel Messi's 2012 campaign in a fan vote. Ronaldo already holds five official Ballon d'Or awards. Since joining Al Nassr in 2023, Thursday's performance was his seventh hat-trick for the club.

With the match level at 2-2 after an eventful first half, Ronaldo scored in the 66th and 72nd minutes and completed the treble in the 81st, a spell of finishing that provided Al Nassr the margin they needed. The second-half burst proved decisive in a game that finished 5-3.

The treble leaves him 15 goals short of 1,000 career strikes; in a 2024 conversation with former Manchester United teammate Rio Ferdinand, he admitted that reaching 1,000 career goals was one of his biggest remaining ambitions, with fitness and staying injury-free key to getting there.

Thursday's outing increased Ronaldo's career hat-trick total to 67, with 44 of those trebles coming for Real Madrid, 10 for Portugal, seven for Al Nassr, three for Manchester United and three for Juventus.

Al Kholood remain 10th in the Saudi Pro League with 12 points following the loss.

Ronaldo's goals kept Al Nassr on track in their Saudi Pro League title defence bid; they are level on 28 points with leaders Al Qadsiah but have played a game fewer, preserving their position in the title race.