Cristiano Ronaldo Matches Lionel Messi’s Record With First Goal of 2024

• Cristiano Ronaldo has matched Lionel Messi's non-penalty goals record
• Ronaldo was on target for Al-Nassr against Al Feiha on February 14
• Sports Brief breaks down the main numbers of the rivals over the years

Cristiano Ronaldo matched Lionel Messi's record when he scored Al-Nassr's only goal in an AFC Champions League match against Al Feiha.

Ronaldo linked up with Marcelo Brozovic before poking the ball past Vladimir Stojkovic to open his goalscoring account for this year.

Al-Nassr had struggled to break down the hosts before Ronaldo conjured up another clutch moment to put his side in the driving seat ahead of the return leg next week.

The goal was Ronaldo's 713th non-penalty goal in his career, which saw him pull level alongside his arch-rival Lionel Messi. The Messi vs Ronaldo app shows that Ronaldo has played 1205 games in his career while Messi is further back with 1047 appearances.

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Ronaldo has 874 goals in total, while Messi has found the back of the net 821 times. The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner has also supplied 361 assists compared to Ronaldo's 249.

Ronaldo combines two celebrations

Sports Brief has also reported that Ronaldo combined two celebrations after scoring against Al Feiha at the Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium on February 14,

The 39-year-old scored in his 1000th appearance in club competitions 10 minutes from time to give his side the advantage. He then combined his iconic Siuu and calma celebrations.

Al Feiha coach: Ronaldo's goal not genuine

At the same time, Al Feiha's head coach, Vuk Rasovic, claimed Ronaldo's goal was not genuine. Rasovic saw his side fall to a late Ronaldo goal in a round of 16 clash of the AFC Champions League.

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"Luck helped Al Nassr score the goal!" he said.

Statistics, however, show the Al-Nassr were the better side in the game, averaging 77% possession. They also had 14 attempts on goal, of which three were on target. Al Feiha, on the other hand, did not have a single shot on target.