Cristiano Ronaldo scored two goals as Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr defeated the United Arab Emirates’ Al-Wasl 4-0 in the AFC Champions League Elite on Monday.
Ronaldo, who will turn 40 on Wednesday, took his season total to 23 goals for Al-Nassr, the Riyadh club that had already secured a spot in the round of 16 before this final group-stage match.
New signing Jhon Duran, who joined Al-Nassr from Aston Villa on Friday, made his debut in the game.
Ali Al-Hassan gave Al-Nassr the lead in the 25th minute, and Ronaldo extended the advantage with a penalty just before halftime. In the 78th minute, Ronaldo scored again with a header. Mohammed Al-Fatil then added a fourth goal for the team.
With the win, Al-Nassr secured third place in the 12-team group, while Saudi rivals Al-Ahli moved to the top of the group after defeating Al-Sadd of Qatar 3-1.
Al-Sadd took an early lead with a goal from Akram Afif just 47 seconds into the match, but former Liverpool player Roberto Firmino equalized with a stunning bicycle kick in the 10th minute. Ibanez put Al-Ahli ahead just before halftime, and Riyad Mahrez, who joined from Manchester City in 2023, sealed the win with a goal in the 81st minute.
In other results, Qatar’s Al-Rayyan won 2-1 against defending champions Al-Ain, while Iraq’s Al-Shorta drew 1-1 with Iran’s Persepolis.
The top eight teams from the two groups, West and East Asia, will move on to the second round.
