Ivan Toney hits hat-trick, Cristiano Ronaldo earns praise from Ange Postecoglou

Ivan Toney struck a hat-trick as Al Ahli defeated Abha 4-0 in the second round of the Saudi Pro League, while Cristiano Ronaldo netted his 977th career goal in Al Nassr’s 4-0 victory over Al Riyadh. Both matches took place on August 23, 2026, marking key moments in the early stages of the league season. In the Al Ahli vs. Abha encounter, Toney opened the scoring within five minutes, capitalising on a well-worked move involving new Armenian midfielder Eduard Spertsyan. A penalty converted by Toney extended the lead to 2-0 before halftime. The third goal came from a remarkable long-range strike by Portuguese winger Francisco Trincao, who scored his maiden Saudi Pro League goal. Trincao later assisted Toney for his third and final goal of the match. This marked Toney’s sixth hat-trick in the league this season and brought his total tally to 58 goals in 64 appearances since joining Al Ahli from Brentford. Al Kholood secured a 3-2 win against Al Taawoun, with three first-half goals from their side. Scottish defender Jack Hendry contributed a crucial goal for Al Ettifaq, who triumphed 1-0 away at Al Fateh. These results highlight the competitive nature of the league as teams continue to find form. For Al Nassr, Ronaldo returned to action following a brief hiatus due to personal commitments, including the World Cup and his recent wedding. Manager Ange Postecoglou included the 41-year-old forward in the matchday squad for the first time since the World Cup. Ronaldo entered the game in the 62nd minute, with his team already leading 3-0 thanks to goals from Abdulelah Al Amri, Angelo Gabriel, and Joao Felix. His contribution came in the form of a clinical finish, collecting a low cross and finishing with precision. This goal propelled Ronaldo closer to the historic 1,000-goal mark in his professional career and marked his 130th goal for Al Nassr across all competitions. Postecoglou praised Ronaldo’s return, noting that the player had taken his time to recover from a busy offseason. “He always wants to play, but he made sure he did all the right things, at training he worked hard, and it was fantastic for him to get 30 minutes today,” the manager said. He added, “And he scores a goal, which just shows you the measure of the man.” Both Toney and Ronaldo have been instrumental in their respective clubs' successes this season. Toney’s consistent performance continues to solidify his status as one of the top strikers in the league, while Ronaldo’s presence adds both experience and firepower to Al Nassr’s attack. As the Saudi Pro League progresses, fans will be eager to see how these players contribute further to their teams’ campaigns.