Cristiano Ronaldo Inches Closer to Lionel Messi With Latest Free Kick Goals in Saudi: Video

• Cristiano Ronaldo bagged a brace of free-kick goals vs Abha
• Ronaldo's two strikes now take his total free-kick tally to 63
• He is just one shy of his archrival, Lionel Messi, who has 64

Al-Nassr captain, Cristiano Ronaldo, narrowed the gap between himself and his eternal rival, Lionel Messi, with his latest display of free-kick prowess in the Saudi Pro League.

Fresh from a stunning hat-trick against Al-Tai over the weekend, Ronaldo added two more free-kick goals to his illustrious career tally against Abha on Tuesday evening, bringing his total to 63.

The 39-year-old maestro closed in on Messi's record of 64 free-kick goals with a double from set-piece situation before the half-hour mark.

Ronaldo nets free-kick double vs Abha

Cristiano's first, a powerful low drive that found the net despite the goalkeeper's efforts to stop it, came in the 12th minute, breaking the deadlock for the Knights of Najd.

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Not content with just one, CR7 unleashed another rocket of a free kick, doubling Al-Nassr's lead with a sublime strike that left the opposing goalkeeper, Ciprian Tatarusanu, helpless.

With these two goals coupled with his sublime lobbed goal before halftime, Ronaldo now boasts 29 strikes from 24 appearances in the Saudi top division, per Transfermarkt.

Ronaldo closes gap on Messi's free-kick record

Meanwhile, the timeless rivalry between Ronaldo and Messi persists as the legendary football duo approaches the twilight of their careers.

With Ronaldo's recent pair of stunning free-kick goals, the gap between him and his eternal counterpart has diminished.

While Messi maintains the lead with 65 free-kick goals, the Al-Nassr captain has now amassed a total of 63 from set-pieces after his brace against Abha, according to MessivsRonaldo.

Ronaldo leads Al-Nassr to resounding win

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Sports Brief also reported that Cristiano Ronaldo showcased his brilliance for Al-Nassr as they dominated Pitso Mosimane's Abha Club.

Ronaldo, in remarkable form lately, secured his second hat-trick in just three days, leading the Knights of Najd to a resounding 8-0 triumph at the Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Stadium.

Goals from Sadio Mane, Abdulrahman Ghareeb, and a brace from Abdulaziz Al Elewai further solidified their commanding victory.