Al-Nassr captain Cristiano Ronaldo has celebrated his remarkable hat-trick after inspiring his side to a 5-3 victory over Al-Kholood in the Saudi Pro League on Thursday.
The Portuguese forward delivered a stunning second-half performance at Al-Awwal Park, scoring three goals in just 15 minutes to secure victory for his team after both sides finished the first half level at 2-2.
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The 41-year-old’s impressive display marked his first hat-trick of the season and his first treble for Al-Nassr in more than two years.
Reacting to the result, Ronaldo took to his official X account to express his delight at the team’s performance and his contribution to the victory.
“Great win, great team performance. Happy to help with a hat-trick!” he wrote.
The encounter initially proved challenging for the hosts, with Ronaldo having two first-half goals ruled out for offside, including one following a VAR review.
Al-Kholood took the lead in the 16th minute through Julien Domingues before Ângelo Gabriel restored parity for Al-Nassr eight minutes later.
Sadio Mané then put the home side ahead in the 38th minute, but Antoin Essomba scored during first-half stoppage time to ensure both teams went into the break level at 2-2.
Ronaldo took charge after the restart, breaking Al-Kholood’s resistance with a decisive attacking display.
João Félix played a crucial role in Al-Nassr’s victory, providing four assists, including the passes that led to Ronaldo’s goals in the 66th and 72nd minutes.
Mané later supplied the assist for the Portuguese forward’s third goal in the 81st minute, completing his hat-trick and extending Al-Nassr’s advantage.
Although Domingues converted a stoppage-time penalty for Al-Kholood, his effort could not prevent the visitors from suffering a 5-3 defeat.
Also read: Ronaldo thanks fans, Says Ballon d’Or honour belongs to them
The victory provided another memorable moment for Ronaldo, whose latest treble underlined his continued influence at Al-Nassr as the Saudi Pro League campaign progresses.
David Okere is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering business, governance, public affairs, and human-interest stories with a commitment to accuracy, balance, and public interest reporting.
