Ronaldo sets Saudi Pro League record for most goals in a season

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Cristiano Ronaldo set a new Saudi Pro League (SPL) record for most goals in a single campaign Monday, scoring a brace in Al-Nassr's SPL finale against Al-Ittihad to bring his tally to 35 league markers for the year.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner eclipsed Abderrazak Hamdallah's previous mark of 34 goals, which he scored while playing for Al-Nassr during the 2018-19 season. Coincidentally, the Moroccan striker is now at Al-Ittihad.

After opening the scoring - and equaling the record - with a close-range finish in the first half of Monday's 4-2 victory, Ronaldo set the new standard with a vintage header in the second stanza.

Ronaldo has 50 goals across all competitions this season, including four hat-tricks.

The Portuguese icon, 39, cruised to the Saudi league's Golden Boot in the process. He's now been the top scorer for at least one season in four different leagues, a feat he also accomplished in the Premier League with Manchester United, in La Liga (three times) with Real Madrid, and in Serie A with Juventus.

Despite Ronaldo's latest accolades, it hasn't all been smooth sailing in Saudi Arabia for the all-time leading marksman in men's international soccer.

Al-Nassr finished second in the table to Al-Hilal, missing out on the SPL title for a second consecutive year since his arrival. Ronaldo also served two separate suspensions this season, once for an elbow against Al-Hilal in the Saudi Super Cup, and another for an obscene gesture made in response to fans mocking him with persistent "Messi" chants.