Cristiano Ronaldo sent Saudi Pro League title warning as Ivan Toney aims to stop CR7 from claiming Golden Boot

Should the Al-Nassr captain secure the individual accolade once more, he would become the first European player in the history of the Saudi Pro League to win the Golden Boot for three consecutive seasons. However, the 41-year-old is currently facing a formidable challenge from Al-Ahli’s Toney, who has taken the league by storm. The former Brentford striker currently leads the scoring charts with 23 goals, two more than Ronaldo, who may come to rue going on strike for two fixtures amid frustrations over Al-Nassr's transfer dealings.

Toney’s prolific form has transformed Al-Ahli into genuine title contenders, putting them within touching distance of Al-Nassr at the top of the table. Despite the pressure of competing against one of the game's greatest ever players, the 29-year-old is playing with a level of self-assurance that suggests he won't be easily overhauled. Toney recently reflected on his clinical nature in front of goal and how his individual success is feeding into the collective goals of his club as they chase their first league title in a decade.

"Every time I step onto the pitch, I feel like I'm going to score, I've got that confidence at the moment," Toney told talkSPORT. "But that's always good, having a striker in a team that feels like it's going to score goals and can score goals. And obviously, it's helping at the moment considering where we are in the table, so it's good." The striker’s rhythm has been near-perfect, barring a rare penalty miss earlier this season - his first since April 2023 - that would have pushed his current tally to 24.

While the individual battle between Ronaldo and Toney captures the headlines, the Saudi Pro League title race is reaching a boiling point. Al-Nassr currently hold a slim two-point lead over Al-Ahli following a dominant 5-0 victory over Al-Najma. Ronaldo was back among the goals in that fixture, converting from the penalty spot and unveiling a brand-new goal celebration that replaced his trademark 'Siu'. However, with Al-Ahli sitting on 56 points and Al-Nassr on 58, there is almost no margin for error as the 34-game season approaches its conclusion.

The race for the crown isn't just a two-horse race, with Al-Qadsiah emerging as a dangerous third party. Under the guidance of former Liverpool and Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers, they have surged into fourth place with 53 points following a three-game winning streak. The tactical evolution of Rodgers' side has added another layer of complexity to the run-in, potentially playing the role of kingmaker as they prepare to face the top two sides in the final weeks of the campaign.

Despite the lure of beating Ronaldo to the Golden Boot, Toney remains adamant that team silverware is his primary motivation. The striker currently sits atop a high-profile list of scorers that includes Julian Quinones, Josh King and Joao Felix. Toney understands that his clinical finishing serves as the engine for Al-Ahli’s title charge, viewing the individual prize as a natural by-product of his efforts to secure the league trophy for his supporters.

"Yeah, of course, being a striker, you want to be scoring goals," Toney said when asked about the race for the top scorer award. "And when you're this far through the season and you're close to the top of the goal scoring chart, it's kind of like, 'Okay, let me stay here now.' And of course, we know goals win games and that's what I'm trying to do for the team and help us in the league. So yeah, I want to try and stay there now. And obviously, the more goals I get, the more chance we've got of winning games and it'll help us in the league as well, so that's my main goal."