George Ilenikhena: Can Super Eagles striker break Ronaldo’s Saudi Pro League record?

Super Eagles striker George Ilenikhena has continued his impressive form in the Saudi Pro League, raising questions about whether he can challenge Cristiano Ronaldo’s goalscoring record.

The 20-year-old continued his solid start to the 2026–27 campaign last night, scoring in Al-Ittihad’s 4-1 victory over Al-Ettifaq to take his league tally to five goals.

George ILENIKHENA (20) is simply incredible 🇳🇬💎🇸🇦 https://t.co/WXJZcKfOUX

— Top 10 Leagues🎯 (@Top10Leagues) October 20, 2026

The goal took his league tally to five this season, and seven goals in 11 games across all competitions.

However, the youngster has a significant benchmark to chase if he hopes to match one of the most remarkable individual campaigns in Saudi football history.

George Ilenikhena has Ronaldo’s record in his sights

Ronaldo joined Al-Nassr in December 2022 and scored 14 goals in 16 Saudi Pro League appearances during the second half of the 2022–23 season.

It was in his first full campaign that the Portuguese superstar made history. The former Real Madrid and Manchester United forward scored 35 league goals in the 2023–24 season, breaking the competition’s single-season scoring record and winning his first Saudi Pro League Golden Boot.

Ronaldo followed that achievement with 25 goals in 2024–25, becoming the first player to win the award in consecutive seasons.

Ilenikhena is now on his Saudi Pro League journey, and five goals represent an encouraging start. Yet, to surpass Ronaldo’s record, the Nigerian must score at least 36 league goals in a single campaign.

That means he needs another 31 goals to reach the landmark, with the number of matches remaining and his involvement in Al-Ittihad’s starting line-up likely to determine if the feat is within reach for the former AS Monaco striker.

Can the Super Eagles striker maintain his scoring form?

George Ilenikhena has already shown that he can deliver against strong teams in the Pro League. His goals earlier in the campaign, including a brace against Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr, demonstrated his ability to make an impact in high-profile fixtures.

His latest strike against Al-Ettifaq further underlined his growing importance to Al-Ittihad, where competition for the centre-forward position remains a significant factor, with Steven Bergwijn and Yousef En-Nesyri still on the books of the four-time Saudi Pro League winners.

To challenge Ronaldo’s record, however, Ilenikhena needs more game time in the starting lineup. He must secure regular playing time, remain fit through the campaign and convert chances consistently.

Ronaldo’s record also reflects remarkable durability. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner scored those 35 goals and provided 11 assists playing 31 games.

He only failed to start one of those games, and failed to complete 90 minutes in four of the games he started, showing that the record requires sustained production across an entire season, rather than a brief spell of exceptional form.

At 20, Ilenikhena has time to develop the consistency and experience required to reach that level. Whether he can break the record this season will depend on how his role at Al-Ittihad evolves over the coming months.

Ilenikhena shares Ronaldo’s ambition

There is also a personal connection between the two forwards. In an exclusive interview with Afrik-Foot, Ilenikhena revealed his preference for Ronaldo over Lionel Messi.

That admiration adds an interesting dimension to the comparison, although emulating his idol’s Saudi record remains a considerably bigger challenge than simply matching his goalscoring form over a few matches.

For now, Ilenikhena’s priority should be to build on his five league goals and establish himself as a consistent starter for Al-Ittihad.

Ronaldo’s 35-goal benchmark offers a measure of the heights he could aspire to reach. Breaking it is a different proposition altogether, but the Nigerian striker has made an encouraging start to his first full season in Saudi Arabia.