Cristiano Ronaldo scores from the bench as Al Nassr return begins against Al Riyadh

Cristiano Ronaldo marked his first appearance of the season for Al Nassr by coming off the bench and scoring in Friday’s Roshn Saudi League meeting with Al Riyadh.

The Portugal forward was introduced in the 62nd minute at Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium in Riyadh, with Al Nassr already leading 3-0. Manager Ange Postecoglou replaced Saudi Arabia striker Abdullah Al-Hamdan with Ronaldo.

His return came after an absence of more than 240 minutes of competitive action for the club. Al Nassr had won their opening two matches of the season without him, beating Al Fateh 3-0 in the first round of the Roshn Saudi League before defeating Al Diriyah 4-1 in the round of 32 of the King’s Cup.

Ronaldo’s arrival generated an immediate response from the travelling Al Nassr supporters. The fans began chanting his name as he prepared to enter the game and continued their celebrations when he stepped on to the pitch.

He was handed the captain’s armband as soon as he joined the action, taking it from Saudi defender Abdulilah Al-Amri, who had led Al Nassr from the start of the match.

Ronaldo then completed his comeback with a goal in the 83rd minute to make it 4-0. Ayman Yahya supplied a low cross from the right, and Ronaldo met it with his left foot to send the ball into the net.

It was the 41-year-old’s first goal of the current campaign and his first involvement for Al Nassr since returning to training earlier this week.

Ronaldo had reported back later than his team-mates after completing his international commitments with Portugal at the 2026 World Cup. That delayed return meant he missed Al Nassr’s opening two fixtures of the season.

The forward was Al Nassr’s leading scorer in the previous Roshn Saudi League campaign, registering 28 goals. He finished third in the league’s overall scoring standings, behind Al Qadsiah forward Julian Quinones of Mexico and Al Ahli striker Ivan Toney of England.

His appearance against Al Riyadh therefore ended a brief but notable wait for the club’s captain, who had been absent during Al Nassr’s perfect start to the season. With the side already in control by the time he entered, Ronaldo quickly added his own contribution and restored his place at the centre of attention.