Golden Boot Race Shaken as Saudi Pro League Strips Goals from Ronaldo and Toney
Saudi Pro League revises two high‑profile goals, altering the Golden Boot leaderboard
The race for the Saudi Pro League’s Golden Boot has taken an unexpected turn after the competition’s governing body re‑classified a goal each for Cristiano Ronaldo and Ivan Toney as own goals. Both players lose a tally in the official standings, even though the match‑day statistics still list the strikes as theirs.
What happened to Ronaldo’s goal?
During matchweek 11, Al Nassr beat Al Faisaly 3‑1. In the 49th minute, a set‑piece delivered by João Félix appeared to be headed home by the Portuguese forward, giving him what was celebrated as his fifth league goal of the season and the 982nd of his career. Subsequent video review suggested the ball may have glanced off Al Faisaly defender Andrei Girotto before crossing the line. The league’s technical committee therefore re‑recorded the strike as an own goal by Girotto, removing the credit from Ronaldo.
And Toney’s goal?
Ivan Toney’s situation mirrors Ronaldo’s. In Al Ahli’s 4‑1 victory over Al Khaleej, the England striker headed the opening goal in the 11th minute. The decision was examined for several minutes by VAR after a possible off‑side interference from a teammate and alleged contact with defender Mohammed Khabrani. Referee Abdullah Al‑Shahri eventually upheld the goal, but the league later re‑classified it as an own goal, deducting one from Toney’s official count.
Conflicting data on the league’s website
The re‑classifications have produced an odd discrepancy within the Saudi Pro League’s own data. The standings now show the two goals as own goals, yet the detailed match reports continue to credit the strikes to Ronaldo and Toney. This split in the records means that fans consulting the league’s website will see two different tallies for the same events.
Impact on the Golden Boot race
Despite the adjustments, the top of the scoring chart remains relatively unchanged. Ivan Toney still leads with twelve goals, sitting five clear of Mateo Retegui and Youssef En‑Nesyri, who each have seven. Ronaldo’s official figure, according to the league’s website, has fallen to twelve after the deduction, although other sections of the site list him with only four goals, highlighting the internal inconsistency.
Independent databases such as Transfermarkt continue to attribute the disputed goals to the players, preserving the higher tallies. Until the Saudi Pro League either reverses its decision or aligns its internal records, the official numbers on its website will be the ones that determine the Golden Boot outcome.
What this means for the rest of the season
- Both strikers will need to add to their totals if they wish to stay in contention under the revised figures.
- Clubs and fans may push for greater transparency in how the league handles goal attribution.
- The situation underscores the importance of consistent data management in modern football competitions.
For now, the Golden Boot race will continue to be tracked by two parallel sets of numbers – the league’s official standings and the match‑day statistics that still recognize Ronaldo’s and Toney’s goals. The outcome will likely hinge on whether the league revisits its decision before the season concludes.
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