Cristiano Ronaldo’s historic 982nd goal has become the centre of a major controversy after FIFA recorded it as an own goal, while the Saudi Pro League continues to credit the Al Nassr superstar.
FIFA Refuses to Recognise Ronaldo’s 982nd Goal as Controversy Grows
Cristiano Ronaldo has suffered an unexpected setback in his race towards 1,000 career goals after FIFA’s Match Centre failed to recognise his 982nd goal for Al Nassr.
The Portuguese superstar thought he had reached another historic milestone during Al Nassr’s 3-1 victory over Al Faisaly on October 23.
However, the goal has now become the centre of a major controversy because FIFA and the Saudi Pro League have recorded it differently.
Ronaldo’s goal causes major controversy
The incident happened in the 49th minute when Joao Felix delivered a dangerous ball into the penalty area.
Ronaldo jumped to meet the cross, and the ball entered the net after touching Al Faisaly defender Andrei Girotto.
The 41-year-old immediately celebrated with his famous “Siu” celebration, believing he had scored his 982nd career goal.
However, FIFA’s Match Centre recorded the incident as an own goal by Girotto rather than a goal for Ronaldo.
Statistics provider Opta also credited the goal to the Al Faisaly defender.
Saudi Pro League disagrees with FIFA
Interestingly, the Saudi Pro League continues to recognise Ronaldo as the goalscorer.
The referee’s official match report also reportedly listed Ronaldo as the player who scored Al Nassr’s second goal.
As a result, Ronaldo has 982 career goals according to the Saudi Pro League’s records, but only 981 under the FIFA Match Centre and Opta’s current records.
The main question is whether Ronaldo’s header was already travelling towards goal before hitting Girotto.
If it was heading towards the net, Ronaldo could receive credit. Otherwise, the incident would normally be recorded as an own goal.
Officials review the disputed goal
According to reports from Saudi Arabia, the Saudi Arabian Football Federation’s refereeing committee met on October 25 to review the incident.
Officials reportedly examined communication between the referee and VAR before referring the matter for further review.
As of October 26, no final decision has been publicly announced to settle the disagreement between the different records.
Ronaldo’s race to 1,000 goals continues
The controversy has created another unexpected twist in Ronaldo’s historic journey towards 1,000 career goals.
If the disputed goal is officially credited to him, the Al Nassr captain will have 982 goals and need just 18 more to reach the remarkable milestone.
However, if the own-goal decision remains, he will still be on 981 goals under that counting system.
For now, Ronaldo’s 982nd goal remains disputed, leaving fans waiting to see whether the Portuguese legend will receive credit for the strike.
