Al-Nassr head coach Luis Castro heaped praise on Cristiano Ronaldo after ending 2023 as the world’s top scorer.
In their final game of the year, Al-Nassr travelled to face in-form Al-Taawoun hoping to extend their winning run and keep up with Al-Hilal at the top of the Saudi Pro League table.
Al-Taawoun grabbed a shock lead after 12 minutes before the visitors turned the game on its head to earn a thumping 4-1 victory away from home.
Cristiano Ronaldo got his goal at the very end, netting in the 92nd minute from a well-placed header to seal the victory in style.
The 38-year-old’s strike was his 54th in 2023, edging Kylian Mbappe (52), Harry Kane (52), and Erling Haaland (50) to become the top scorer of last year.
“A difficult game but we won and were the better side throughout the 90 minutes,” Castro said in the press conference.
“We were able to come back from behind and show a good reaction after conceding very early in the game.
“Al-Taawoun did not have the chance to play the way they wanted to even though they are a good team because we closed down the spaces well.
“I am happy to be the coach with the most victories in 2023, and I thank my players for helping me achieve this.
“I congratulate Ronaldo on achieving this record, and this is the result of the great effort he put in, and I am happy to have him with us,” he added.