If a player has scored 32 goals in 36 games, and is comfortably ahead of everyone else in his league’s goalscoring charts, why even consider stopping?
Cristiano Ronaldo might have just turned 40. But he would be within his rights to point out that age is just a number, and all the other stats are working very favourably for him, thank you very much.
Twenty-three of those goals have come in the Saudi Pro League. That haul has left stars of the calibre of Karim Benzema and Ivan Toney trailing in his wake.
If he has gone to Riyadh just to while his way to retirement and pick up the sport’s fattest ever paycheck, then he is going a funny way about showing it.
Ronaldo remains relentlessly driven to excellence. In a little over two years, he has already raced into the top 10 goalscorers in the history of the Saudi Pro League. He requires less than 70 more to reach the career total of 1,000.
It seems extraordinary to think that would be doable, but Ronaldo’s strike rate is scarcely slowing. At Real Madrid, he scored 1.02 goals per game on average. At Juventus it was 0.75, and now in Saudi it is 0.9.
At the current rate, it should take him around 70 or so matches to top 1,000. It feels certain the pursuit of four figures is one of his main driving forces, even if he did claim earlier this month it is not on his mind.
“Let’s enjoy the moment, the present,” he said in his flash interview after helping Al Nassr beat their Riyadh rivals, Al Hilal, at the start of April.
“I’m not following 1,000 [goals]. If [it happens] then perfect. If it’s not, it’s not. The moment is the most special thing, not what is going to come.”
It makes sense that Ronaldo should want to enjoy every moment. Even he will have to give in to the passing of time one day, so why not make the most of it?
But there is another good reason he might have an eye on the future. Ronaldo’s son – and namesake – is in the Al Nassr academy, just as he was at his previous clubs of Juventus and Manchester United.
While Ronaldo has said he won’t push his son towards a career in the sport because of the pressure that will be on him, he won’t hold him back, either.
If Cristiano Jr does have the aptitude for first-team football, then surely his dad would love to stick around to play in the same line-up.
If that does come to pass, it would bring yet more eyeballs to the Saudi league. More than anyone else, Ronaldo has done the most to bring attention to the competition.
It has not come cheap: Ronaldo’s pay has worked out to about €4.5 million per match and €5 million per goal so far. But the league’s credibility has massively benefitted since he arrived.
No longer is it the preserve of ageing stars, either. As an example, Jhon Duran left the English Premier League to play in the same XI as Ronaldo at Al Nassr, aged just 21, earlier this season.
“This project is just two years old,” Al Nassr’s sporting director and former Real Madrid captain Fernando Hierro said last week.
“And yet look at the infrastructure, the global reach, the talent. There’s already so much work behind it. It’s only just beginning.”
Maybe global domination can wait, at least until after they have had their crack at continental success.
With an eight-point deficit behind leaders Al Ittihad with five matches to go in the league, the AFC Champions League Elite Finals represents Nassr’s most realistic trophy chance this season.
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Al Nassr's Jhon Duran celebrates scoring the third goal with Cristiano Ronaldo and Angelo Gabriel during their Asian Champions League round of 16 second Leg at Al Awwal Park in Riyadh. Reuters -
Al Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring from the penalty spot against Esteghlal on Monday. Reuters -
Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring with Al Nassr teammate Sadio Mane. Reuters -
Cristiano Ronaldo scores from the penalty spot. Reuters -
Jhon Duran scored twice to help Al Nassr qualify for the ACL quarter-finals. Reuters -
Jhon Duran with Ali Lajami after scoring the third goal. Reuters
Ronaldo was rested from Tuesday night’s league game against Damac, in which they required a stoppage time winner from Sultan Al Ghannam to muddle past a side who are 11th placed in the league.
That is with a view to Nassr’s Champions League quarter-final tie against Yokohama on Saturday.
Al Nassr have never won the continental title. They were beaten on penalties at the quarter-final stage by Al Ain, the eventual champions, last season.
The Saudi sides will have the benefit of playing in the homeland. For the first time, all matches from the quarter-final onwards are being played at a centralised venue in Jeddah.
Al Ahli, who face Thai side Buriram United in their opener on Saturday, should feel the biggest benefit, as they are based in the port city.
The way the draw has been made creates a pathway for a potential Riyadh derby in the final. Hilal start against Gwangju on Friday evening, while Ronaldo’s Nassr face Yokohama, on the other side of the draw, a day later.
