Cristiano Ronaldo scored and assisted a goal each as Al-Nassr beat Al-Riyadh in the Saudi Pro League 2023-24 on Friday, December 8, 2023, to go within seven points of league leaders Al-Hilal. With what was his 16th goal of the campaign, Ronaldo moved top of the scoring charts, two ahead of Serbian hitman Aleksandar Mitrovic, and went level with assist-leader Alvaro Medran with his eighth. (More Football News)
Both those accomplishments, however, waned against the milestone the Portual international crossed as he marked his 1,200th appearance in professional football. He netted his career's 868th goal on the occasion, helping his team overcome their latest opponents 4-1.
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"Three more points!" Ronaldo posted on social media after the match. "Thankful to all my team mates who helped me reach my 1,200th match. What a ride but we're not done yet!"
Celebrations subsided, only a handful of footballers stand between Ronaldo and the top podium when it comes to the number of appearances made in their professional careers. Slightly ahead of him are Englishman Paul Bastock and Brazilian Fabio, albeit the former is discounted from the list given that the nature of most of his appearances has been semi-professional. Leading the chart, however, is ex-England goalkeeper Peter Shilton, who, with 1,387 appearances in his bank, stands head and shoulders above the rest.
