Cristiano Ronaldo misses Golden Boot three-peat yet still gets last laugh over Ivan Toney as Al-Nassr star’…
Cristiano Ronaldo’s influence over Saudi soccer continues to grow even during a season in which the Al-Nassr captain failed to secure another Golden Boot. Ivan Toney and Julian Quinones pushed the race all the way to the final matchday with Al-Ahli, but despite his impressive scoring form, the duo could not erase one of the most iconic individual achievements in Saudi Pro League history.
The battle for the scoring crown produced plenty of suspense during the closing weeks of the campaign. Toney entered the final fixture knowing he had already overtaken Ronaldo in the current Golden Boot standings, while Julian Quinones was still mathematically in contention heading into the final round.
Al-Ahli closed out its league campaign emphatically with a commanding 4-1 victory over Al-Khaleej at Prince Mohamed bin Fahd Stadium. Although Matthias Jaissle’s side had already secured third place in the table, the club still delivered one of its most complete attacking displays of the season.
Ivan Toney and Julian Quinones stop Ronaldo from third consecutive Golden Boot
Even though he failed to score in the final game, Toney finished the season with 32 league goals. However, Julian Quinones solidified his position as the top scorer in the Saudi Pro League, surpassing the Englishman on the last matchday of the season and finishing the campaign with 33 goals in 31 matches. His total tally was enough to deny Ronaldo a third consecutive Golden Boot award in Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Pro League 25-26 List of goalscorers
That achievement alone represents a major accomplishment considering Ronaldo’s extraordinary consistency since arriving at Al-Nassr. The Englishman adapted quickly to Saudi soccer and became the focal point of Al-Ahli’s attack throughout the campaign.
Ronaldo’s legendary record survives another challenge
While Quionones captured the Golden Boot, the bigger piece of history remained untouched. Cristiano Ronaldo’s legendary 35-goal record in a single Saudi Pro League season officially stays unbroken after Quinones ended his campaign on 32 goals, and Toney on 32 goals.
He established that historic mark during the 2023-24 season with Al-Nassr. The Portuguese superstar scored 35 league goals in only 31 appearances, surpassing the previous single-season record of 34 goals held by former Al-Nassr striker Abderrazak Hamdallah.
Last two Saudi Pro League Golden Boot winners
The achievement became even more remarkable because the superstar accomplished it at the age of 39. His campaign also included 11 assists, three free-kick goals, and an astonishing average of one goal every 75.6 minutes.
Meanwhile, second-placed Julian Quinones ends the season with 33 goals, failing to bridge the two-goal gap needed to surpass the Portuguese’s historic benchmark. The Mexico international needed at least five goals in the final game.
