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Al-Nassr emerged victorious with a 4-2 win against Al-Ittihad on the 34th and final day of the season. The match was marked by a significant milestone as Cristiano Ronaldo surpassed Abderrazak Hamdallah’s single-season goal record in the league.
Moroccan international striker Abderrazak Hamdallah, who has earned 25 caps and scored seven goals for his national team, was notably absent due to injury.
Despite not playing, Hamdallah witnessed his record from the 2018-2019 season being broken. During that season, while playing for Al-Nassr, Hamdallah netted an impressive 34 goals, setting a benchmark in the Saudi Pro League.
Cristiano Ronaldo, the Portuguese superstar who joined Al-Nassr, was on the verge of breaking this record with 33 goals before the match.
By scoring a brace at the Al-Awwal Stadium in Riyadh, with goals in the 45+3rd and 69th minutes, Ronaldo concluded the 2023-2024 season with a remarkable 35 goals, thus taking over Hamdallah’s record.
After the match, Ronaldo expressed his satisfaction on Instagram, saying, “I don’t follow the records, it’s the records that follow me.”
Despite losing his record, Hamdallah had a commendable season, scoring 25 goals in total, with 19 of those in the league.
This achievement underscores his enduring prowess at 33 years old, despite being frequently overlooked by the national team.
In contrast, Karim Benzema, another high-profile player who joined Al-Ittihad during the last summer transfer window, did not meet expectations.
Benzema, a former Real Madrid star, managed to score only 12 goals this season, with nine of those in the league, falling short of the performance levels he had demonstrated in Spain.
The match and the record-breaking feat by Ronaldo highlight the competitive spirit and high stakes of the Saudi Pro League, setting the stage for more exciting seasons to come.
