Cristiano Ronaldo opened his account for the new campaign in style on Friday, scoring his 977th career goal off the bench as Al Nassr thrashed Al Riyadh 4-0 in the Saudi Pro League, a result that lifted Ange Postecoglou's side to the top of the table on goal difference.
Ronaldo, making his first appearance of the season having missed the club's opening two matches following the World Cup and his recent wedding, was named among the substitutes at Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium and entered the game with Al Nassr already firmly in control.
Al Nassr needed just 18 minutes to break the deadlock, with Abdulelah Al Amri powering home a header from Angelo's inswinging corner.
Angelo then doubled the lead deep into first-half stoppage time, converting from close range after Abdullah Al Hamddan had inexplicably missed from the six-yard box moments earlier.
Joao Felix added a third shortly after the interval, picking out the bottom corner with a composed finish despite the attentions of several defenders, before Ronaldo was introduced in the 62nd minute in place of one of the frontline attackers, immediately hunting for a moment of his own.
He found it in the 83rd minute, dragging back a low cross from Aiman Yahya before sweeping the ball home from eight yards with his left foot to complete the scoring.
It was his 130th goal for Al Nassr in all competitions since joining the club in December 2022, and edged him closer still to the 1,000-goal milestone.
Despite playing less than half an hour, Ronaldo recorded the joint-most shots of any Al Nassr player on the pitch, with three attempts, and was more accurate than any of his teammates, hitting the target twice.
He also accounted for the highest individual share of the team's expected goals, contributing 0.67 of Al Nassr's overall total of 1.62.
Al Nassr created five clear-cut chances over the course of the match to Al Riyadh's none, and registered 32 touches inside the opposition box compared to just seven for the home side.
The win means Al Nassr have won all six points available from their opening two league fixtures, a perfect start that will please Postecoglou as the club looks to defend its Saudi Pro League title.
Al Riyadh, by contrast, sit bottom of the table after back-to-back defeats to open their campaign.
At 41, Ronaldo continues his steady march towards an unprecedented 1,000 career goals, having previously suggested the current campaign could prove to be his last.
The Portuguese forward has spoken of his desire to leave what he described as a spectacular legacy before eventually stepping away from the game.