Ange Postecoglou has praised a Ronaldo hat-trick that gave Al-Nassr a 5-3 home win over Al-Kholood in the Saudi league, saying the 41-year-old delivered despite his “advanced age”.
The Greek-Australian coach spoke after the eight-goal game on Thursday 29 October. The Ronaldo hat-trick took the Portuguese star to 985 career goals, just 15 short of 1,000.
“Cristiano Ronaldo, despite his ‘advanced age’, scored a hat-trick,” Postecoglou said. “The players delivered a high level of performance, and their spirit is immense.”
How the Ronaldo hat-trick unfolded
The visitors struck first in the 16th minute. Julien Domingues finished an Abdulrahman Al-Dawsari cross to put Al-Kholood ahead.
Al-Nassr replied through Ângelo Gabriel in the 24th minute. Sadio Mane put the home side in front in the 38th minute. However, Antoin Essomba equalised before half-time to make it 2-2.
Ronaldo had seen an early effort ruled out for offside. However, he answered after the break, scoring three goals in just 15 minutes.
First, he scored with a composed finish in the 66th minute. In the 72nd minute, he headed in a Joao Felix cross. Felix set up both goals.
Finally, the captain completed the Ronaldo hat-trick from close range in the 81st minute, after Mane won the ball back following a saved shot. Domingues later added a penalty for Al-Kholood.
Closing in on 1,000 goals
World Soccer Talk reported the treble was the 67th of his career. It also ended a two-game run without a goal against Neom and Al-Faisaly in the Saudi Pro League.
Still, his exact career total remains under debate. The league credits him with a disputed goal against Al-Faisaly, but several statistics providers record it as an own goal.
Postecoglou has backed his captain since he joined Al-Nassr in mid-2026. In August, he praised the forward after another goal on his return.
Source: World Soccer Talk