Cristiano Ronaldo goal questioned after Al-Nassr’s 3-1 win over Al-Faisaly

Cristiano Ronaldo’s second-half goal for Al-Nassr against Al-Faisaly has come under scrutiny after former Saudi Arabia stars Sami Al-Jaber, Mohammed Noor and Hussein Abdulghani questioned whether it should have been credited to him.

Al-Nassr won 3-1 on Friday in the 11th round of the Roshn Saudi League, keeping up their pursuit of the leaders. However, the result was overshadowed by the debate surrounding Ronaldo’s goal, which came in the 49th minute.

The move began when Portugal international Joao Felix delivered a free-kick cross into the penalty area. Ronaldo rose to head the ball towards goal, but it struck Brazilian Al-Faisaly defender Andrei Girotto before ending up in the net.

That final touch prompted discussion over whether Ronaldo’s header was already heading into the goal or whether Girotto’s intervention changed the ball’s path sufficiently for the defender to be considered the scorer.

Speaking on the Nadeena programme, former Al-Hilal captain Sami Al-Jaber said video replays and slow-motion footage suggested Girotto should have been credited with the goal.

“The replays and slow-motion images show that Andrei Girotto scored the goal,” Al-Jaber said, according to the programme’s discussion. “The ball changed direction after hitting him before it entered the net.”

Mohammed Noor and Hussein Abdulghani also questioned Ronaldo’s claim to the goal. The three former Saudi footballers focused on the ball’s trajectory after Ronaldo’s header and the effect of Girotto’s touch.

Noor compared the incident with a disputed goal during the 2022 World Cup. Portugal’s goal against Uruguay was eventually awarded to Bruno Fernandes, although Ronaldo believed he had made contact with the ball with his head.

“This is similar to his goal at the 2022 World Cup, when the goal was awarded to Bruno Fernandes,” Noor said.

Despite the debate, the referee recorded the goal in Ronaldo’s name. It took the Portugal captain’s career tally to 982 goals.

The discussion was also highlighted by Nadeena on social media on 23 October 2026, with a clip featuring Al-Jaber’s view that Ronaldo had not scored and Noor’s comparison with the World Cup incident.

Al-Nassr ultimately secured all three points with a 3-1 victory over Al-Faisaly, but Ronaldo’s goal remained the main talking point after the final whistle.