As of Friday’s match against Al-Najma, Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has made 100 appearances in the Saudi Pro League (SPL), which he joined in early 2023. Ronaldo scored twice in his SPL 100th appearance, leading Al-Nassr to a 5–2 victory.
The 41-year-old forward, who is currently earning a record-smashing $280 million per year with Al-Nassr, has showed little signs of slowing down and every indication of his continued worth, notching 97 goals and 18 assists across those 100 times on the pitch.
Still, Ronaldo is not as young as he once was, and the level of play in the SPL does not compare to the quality found in Europe’s top flights. So, how does Ronaldo’s output during his first 100 games in Saudi Arabia compare to what he achieved in other leagues throughout his career in that same time span?
Here, Sports Illustrated dives into the numbers.
Ronaldo’s Success in Premier League, La Liga, Serie A
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner dominated three of Europe’s top leagues before moving to Saudi Arabia.
He ignited his stardom as a teenager in the Premier League competing for Manchester United. He played six seasons (2003–09) across his first stint at the club, before a brief return (2021–23). In 236 total appearances in the Premier League, Ronaldo scored 103 goals and had 47 assists, beginning his ascent to becoming the sport’s all-time leading goal scorer. Ronaldo also won back-to-back Premier League Player of the Season awards (2006–07, 2007–08), scoring 31 goals in the latter season to lead Man Utd. to the league title.
In his first 100 Premier League matches, though, Ronaldo had just 19 goals and 14 assists, according to StatMuse—numbers he has since blown out of the water in other leagues given his career was still in its infancy back then.
The soccer legend’s most prolific time came during his nine seasons for Real Madrid (2009–18). He made 292 appearances in La Liga, notching 311 goals and 95 assists in league play to average more than one goal per game. He was back-to-back La Liga MVP in 2012–13 and 2013–14, with a combined 65 goals in league play in those two seasons.
In his first 100 La Liga matches specifically, Ronaldo scored 111 goals, including 14 hat tricks, according to StatMuse—14 more goals than his output in the SPL. Despite the relative ease of his new league, it appears Ronaldo’s age has begun to catch up.
Ronaldo remains the all-time leading goalscorer for Real Madrid, netting 451 goals across all competitions for the club.
After La Liga, Ronaldo made the leap to Serie A, playing for Juventus between 2018–22. He was close to the 100-match mark with 98 appearances in league play. He scored 81 total goals and added 21 assists in the Italian top flight. Ronaldo won Serie A MVP for the 2018–19 season and Serie A Best Striker in 2020–21.
Ronaldo also had an impressive career in UEFA Champions League play, scoring a record-setting 140 goals and tallying 50 assists in 183 appearances in Europe’s premier club competition.
Ronaldo’s First 100 Matches in League Play
| League | Goals |
|---|---|
| Premier League | 19 |
| La Liga | 111 |
| Serie A (98 matches) | 81 |
| Saudi Pro League | 97 |
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Looking at the Numbers—Ronaldo’s Success in First 100 Appearances in Saudi Pro League.
