Ronaldo goal review: Why his 982nd career strike should be an own goal instead

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• Andy Davies

Oct 30, 2026, 09:00 AM ET

As Cristiano Ronaldo edges ever closer to a phenomenal total of 1,000 career goals, every strike counts. So it's no surprise that the Portugal captain will take any opportunity to add to his tally.

On Oct. 23 the 41-year-old celebrated scoring the 982nd goal of his career in Al Nassr's 3-1 victory over Al Faisaly in the Saudi Pro League, although there is some disagreement over whether it should be his at all.

The Portugal international celebrated scoring a glancing header from João Félix's 49th-minute free kick free kick to double his side's lead, but it was unclear if he got a significant touch to the ball with his head before it deflected into the net off Al Faisaly defender Andrei Girotto. ESPN's stats provider, Opta, adjudged it to be an own goal but the Saudi Pro League has credited Ronaldo with scoring it.

Cristiano Ronaldo goal number 982 ⚽️ https://t.co/4yV8r6iJMY

— Roshn Saudi League (@SPL_EN) October 23, 2026

Following his hat trick in Thursday's 5-3 win over Al Kholood, Ronaldo's official career total stands at 985 goals for Sporting CP, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus, Al Nassr and Portugal unless the Saudi Pro League changes its ruling on that goal against Al Faisaly.

ESPN's refereeing expert Andy Davies offers insight into how decisions are typically made when it comes to awarding goals where the scorer is not immediately clear, and gives his analysis on the contentious Ronaldo goal.

Andy Davies (@andydaviesref) is a former Select Group referee, with over 12 seasons on the elite list, working across the Premier League and Championship. With extensive experience at the elite level, he has operated within the VAR space in the Premier League and offers a unique insight into the processes, rationale and protocols that are delivered on a matchday.

Goal Accreditation Panel: How it works

In England, the Goal Accreditation Panel (GAP) decides who gets credit for a goal when it is unclear who scored. This is most commonly when the last touch is by a defender and there is debate as to whether the goal should be credited to the attacker.

When a shot takes a deflection and a goal is scored, it isn't always obvious who the goal scorer is. That's where the Premier League's Goal Accreditation Panel are involved. It reviews video evidence and official Opta data to decide whether a goal belongs to the attacker or should go down as an own goal.

How the process works

Initial Data: The original identification of the goal scorer produced on matchday by Opta is taken from the Matchday Refereeing Team who record the goal scorer in real-time according to their judgement. The tendency is for referees to award the goal to the attacker if there is likely to be any doubt and allow the GAP to decide the outcome.

Who sits on GAP: A three-person panel based at the Premier League Match Centre, typically a ProRef representative plus two football experts.

Panel Core Rule: If the original shot was on target and would have gone in, a minor deflection off a defender or goalkeeper still leaves the goal with the attacker. If the shot was heading off target and a deflection diverts it in, it's an own goal.

Appeals: Clubs can appeal to the Goal Accreditation Appeals Panel, which reviews the footage and can change the official goal scorer.

Recent incidents

Liverpool 2-0 Brighton & Hove Albion (Oct. 25, 2026)

Florian Wirtz's 17th-minute strike was ruled an own goal by Pascal Gross. This denied Wirtz his first Premier League goal of the 2026-27 season.

Leeds United 4-1 Newcastle United (Sept. 14, 2026)

Leeds' second goal was initially to Jayden Bogle. After a club appeal, the Goal Accreditation Appeals Panel awarded it to his teammate, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, with James Justin credited with the assist.

Verdict on Ronaldo Goal

I have been involved in many similar in-game situations in which two players from opposing teams have both tried to influence the outcome in favor of the same decision; the attacker has tried to convince me to credit them with the goal, and equally the defender wants to avoid it going against their name. It's an interesting scenario when two players are suddenly your best mates!

While any touch by Ronaldo in this goal was on target, it was negligible. It was the significant touch by the defender that clearly caused the ball to go beyond the goalkeeper and into the net.

Awarding Ronaldo this goal is stretching this process to the extreme and I'm surprised that the Saudi Pro League reached this decision. However, I'm also confident that the defender is very comfortable that he does not have an own goal against his name.