WATCH: Cristiano Ronaldo leads Al Nassr to 2-1 win over Abha with historic header for 979th goal

Cristiano Ronaldo continued his pursuit of 1,000 career goals as his header helped Al Nassr secure a 2-1 victory over Abha in the Saudi Pro League.

The 41-year-old opened the scoring in the 22nd minute, rising above his marker to meet an Angelo corner before powering his header towards the far post. The ball struck the post before crossing the line.

Ronaldo's strike came shortly after he was left out of the final 30-man Ballon d'Or nominee list, with the Portuguese forward appearing to respond on social media after the match.

Photo by Mohammed Saad/Anadolu via Getty Images

Following the victory, Ronaldo shared an image from the game alongside the caption: "Hard work pays off."

The message came after another productive outing for the Al Nassr star, who has continued to score despite his omission from this year's Ballon d'Or shortlist.