• Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick as Al-Nassr defeated Al Kholood 5-3 in the Saudi Pro League on Thursday, October 29
• The 41-year-old took to social media after the match to celebrate the result and praise his teammates
• Ronaldo's treble moved him to 985 career goals, just 15 shy of the remarkable 1,000-goal milestone

Cristiano Ronaldo celebrated on social media after an impressive second-half hat-trick fired Al-Nassr to a 5-3 win over Al Kholood in the Saudi Pro League, pushing his career goal tally to an extraordinary 985.

Ronaldo reacts after reaching 985 career goals

The Portuguese forward, who turned 41 earlier this year, posted his reaction shortly after Thursday's match, keeping his message simple but warm.

"Great win, great team performance. Happy to help with a hat-trick!" Ronaldo wrote on X.

The match was far from straightforward. Ronaldo had a goal disallowed for offside in the first half, a period that saw Al-Nassr fall behind before Angelo and Sadio Mane helped swing the contest back in their favour, only for Loic Essomba to level things up before the break.

The second half belonged entirely to Ronaldo. He found the net in the 66th and 72nd minutes before completing his treble with nine minutes left on the clock, putting the result beyond doubt and securing all three points for his side.

Watch Ronaldo's hat-trick vs Al Kholood, as shared on X:

Ronaldo's 1,000-goal milestone draws closer

The treble was Ronaldo's first hat-trick of the season and brought him to within 15 goals of the 1,000-career-goal mark, a figure that would cement his status as the most prolific scorer in football history.

His goals span a career that has taken him from Sporting CP to Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus, Al-Nassr and the Portuguese national team.

The timing of the achievement added a certain weight, coming just one day after Ronaldo was voted the greatest Ballon d'Or winner of all time in a fan poll, finishing ahead of his long-standing rival Lionel Messi.

While the poll carries no official recognition from the Ballon d'Or organisation, it added fresh momentum to the ongoing conversation about his place among football's all-time greats.

On the league table, Al-Nassr's win moved them level on 28 points with Al Qadsiah, though with a game in hand, putting them in a strong position in their title challenge.