Cristiano Ronaldo at 40: Detailing the Al Nassr superstar's enduring ability | OneFootball

Last Thursday, Cristiano Ronaldo was once again decisive for Al Nassr.

The club captain scored the opener against Al Raed in Buraidah, then assisted Nawaf Bu Washl for what proved to be the winner in the away side’s 2-1 victory. With it, Al Nassr reclaimed third in the 2024-25 Roshn Saudi League after 18 rounds, drawing to within eight points of Al Hilal and Al Ittihad at the summit.

About to turn 40 less than a week later, Ronaldo had fired Al Nassr back into the RSL title race, while he solidified his lead in another contest for honours. With 15 goals in the league, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner tops the 2024-25 scoring charts, leaving him in pole position to retain the individual accolade he secured last season in record-breaking style.

Then, on Monday in the AFC Champions League Elite, Ronaldo was at it again: he scored twice in Al Nassr’s 4-0 home win against UAE champions Al Wasl. The brace lifted the former Manchester United, Juventus and Real Madrid forward to six goals from five matches in this season’s continental competition.

So, slowing down as he celebrates his milestone birthday on Wednesday? Nah, that’s for normal 40-year-olds. Here we look at some of the startling stats that confirm there's plenty of life left yet in this footballing great.

The 2024-25 RSL output

Looking purely at Ronaldo’s current campaign in the Saudi Arabian top flight, it is yet another example of the hugely decorated star's enduring ability.

He has featured in 17 of Al Nassr’s 18 matches, clocking up 1,523 minutes – behind only fellow attacker Sadio Mane (1,583) and goalkeeper Bento (1,620). In fact, Ronaldo has failed to complete a league match only once this campaign.

Also, he has had more shots than anyone in the division (78, so 16 more than next on the list, Al Taawoun’s Musa Barrow), while his minutes-per-goal ratio comes in at an incredibly healthy 101, and his expected goals (xG) tallies at 15.14.

Meanwhile, Ronaldo sits joint-top for goal contributions, alongside former Real Madrid teammate and current Al Ittihad Karim Benzema, with 18. He has created 22 chances for teammates this season, including six big chances.

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10 standout Ronaldo career stats

- Ronaldo has played 1,261 professional games in his career since debuting in August 2002, including 95 for Al Nassr. He has been victorious in 833 matches, at a win rate of 66.1 percent.

- Ronaldo’s goal at home to Al Okhdood on January 9, in Matchweek 14 of the 2024-25 RSL, means he has scored in every year of his career, from 2002 to 2025.

- Ronaldo’s second against Al Wasl on Monday night took him to 923 goals, with 87 of those coming at Al Nassr. He has 64 goals in 64 RSL appearances.

- Ronaldo’s hat-trick against Al Wehda last May, in Matchweek 30 of the 2023-24 RSL, was the 66th treble of his career.

- Ronaldo holds the record for most goals in a single RSL season, with 35 scored in the 2023-24 campaign.

- Ronaldo has scored 50+ goals (club and country) in nine different seasons during his career, the most recent coming in the 2023-24 campaign, when he found the net 57 times with Al Nassr and Portugal combined.

- Ronaldo scored more goals in his thirties than in his twenties. He netted 460 times (in 543 games) from age 30-39 and 440 times (in 596 games) from age 20-29.

- Ronaldo has both the most goals in men’s international football (135) and the most appearances (217).

- Ronaldo is the only man to have scored at five FIFA World Cups (2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022).

- Ronaldo has scored the most goals in the history of the UEFA European Championship (14) and played the most games at the tournament (30).

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What He Said

In an interview published this week with Spanish television channel La Sexta, Ronaldo offered: “I am the greatest scorer in history. Although I am not left-footed, I am in the top 10 in history for goals scored with the left foot. These are numbers; I am the most complete player who has ever existed.

“I play well with my head, I take good free-kicks, I am fast, I am strong, I jump... I have never seen anyone better than me.”

Ronaldo added: “I could quit the sport today and I wouldn't regret anything, but it would be a shame because I'm still very good; I'm still making a difference. I would leave myself saying 'I can still make a difference for another year or two'. That's why I live very much in the present and I can't think long term.

“I still get up wanting to train and play matches. Maybe a little less than before, but it's my passion, I like to do what I do. It's hard for me, but I go. Do you think I go to the gym every day with desire? No, but there is a commitment, and I go.”