Cristiano Ronaldo scores Al-Nassr hat-trick in 15 minutes, but Saudi legend calls his goals 'easy' and credits Joao Felix for 5-3 win

Cristiano Ronaldo added another hat-trick to his extraordinary collection on Thursday, taking his career tally closer to a milestone that has eluded every footballer in the modern era. But while Al-Nassr celebrated a five-goal victory, one of Saudi Arabia's most celebrated former goalkeepers had a rather different assessment of the performance, directing his praise towards the Portuguese forward who provided the service behind Ronaldo's latest treble.Ronaldo's hat-trick seals five-goal victory for Al-NassrAl-Nassr defeated Al-Kholood 5-3 at Al-Awwal Park on Thursday night, with Ronaldo scoring three times in the second half after the contest had developed into an entertaining exchange of goals. Julien Domingues opened the scoring in the 16th minute before Angelo Gabriel and Sadio Mane also found the net for the Riyadh side.Antoine Essomba equalised in first-half stoppage time, leaving Al-Nassr with work to do after the interval. Ronaldo eventually took control of the contest, scoring in the 66th, 72nd and 81st minutes to complete a treble inside 15 minutes and secure all three points.The performance added another entry to the 41-year-old's remarkable scoring record, taking his Al-Nassr hat-trick collection to seven since joining the Saudi club in 2023. It was also the 67th treble of his senior career, including 44 for Real Madrid, 10 for Portugal, three for Manchester United and three for Juventus, alongside his seven for Al-Nassr.Ronaldo celebrated the result on social media, writing: "Great win, great team performance. Happy to help with a hat-trick!"Mohamed Al-Deayea believes Joao Felix deserved the attentionNot everyone was convinced that Ronaldo was the central figure behind Al-Nassr's victory, with former Saudi Arabia international goalkeeper Mohamed Al-Deayea directing his attention towards Joao Felix. The Portuguese playmaker supplied four assists against Al-Kholood, creating the opportunities that allowed Ronaldo and his attacking team-mates to make the difference.Speaking on Saudi television programme Dawrina Ghair, Al-Deayea described Felix as an important figure for both Al-Nassr and the wider Saudi Pro League, while questioning the nature of Ronaldo's goals."This player [Felix] is an asset to the Saudi League as a whole, not just to Al-Nassr. He is a starter for the Portugal national team, possesses every quality required of a top player, and can perform across multiple attacking positions. He is the heart and soul of the team - with all due respect to Cristiano Ronaldo, who scores easy goals thanks to the service provided by the wingers."Felix's contribution against Al-Kholood extended beyond his four assists, with the Portugal international orchestrating much of Al-Nassr's attacking play and repeatedly finding team-mates in scoring positions. Ronaldo finished those opportunities with three goals, but Al-Deayea's assessment was that the creative work deserved considerably more recognitionWho is Mohamed Al-Deayea, the former Al-Hilal goalkeeper?Al-Deayea is one of the most recognisable goalkeeping figures in Saudi Arabian football, having represented both the national team and Al-Hilal during a distinguished playing career. Born on August 2, 1972, the former goalkeeper is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in Asian football history.He began his senior career with Al-Ta'ee in 1989, making 176 appearances for his hometown club before joining Al-Hilal in 1999. During his 11-year spell in Riyadh, Al-Deayea made 237 appearances and won several domestic honours, alongside the Asian club title in 2000.His playing career ended with his retirement on June 22, 2010, although Al-Hilal organised a testimonial match against Italian giants Juventus on January 5, 2012, at King Fahd Stadium to recognise his contribution to the game.Ronaldo's pursuit of 1,000 goals faces a potential January complicationThe latest hat-trick took Ronaldo's career tally to 985 goals, leaving him just 15 strikes short of the unprecedented 1,000-goal milestone. The Portuguese forward now leads Lionel Messi, who has scored 936 career goals, by 49 in the race between the two long-time rivals.However, Al-Deayea believes the January transfer window could introduce another complication into Ronaldo's pursuit, particularly if Al-Nassr decide to strengthen their attacking options with another striker."If Cristiano doesn't score 15 goals before the winter window and the club goes on to sign a new striker, he won't be able to break the 1,000-goal mark."For Ronaldo, the immediate objective remains adding the 15 goals required to reach four figures, although Al-Deayea's comments have shifted some of the attention towards Felix and the role he plays in creating the opportunities behind Al-Nassr's prolific captain.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.