Mexico international and Al-Qadsiah star Julian Quiñones has pulled off a stunning upset by claiming the Saudi Pro League Golden Boot. The forward surged to the top of the leader-board in a dramatic final-day push, beating out Al-Nassr superstar Cristiano Ronaldo and Al-Ahli’s Ivan Toney in a thrilling race for the award.
Al-Qadsiah star clinches scoring crown
In a turn of events few predicted at the start of the campaign, Quiñones has officially been crowned the top scorer of the Saudi Pro League. The Mexico international produced a masterclass in his side’s final-round clash against Al Ittihad, scoring a spectacular hat-trick in a 5-1 win to take his season tally to 33 goals and catapult himself to the summit of the goalscoring charts.
The Al-Qadsiah forward entered the final matchday with 30 goals to his name, trailing Toney, who led the charts with 32 goals, while sitting ahead of Ronaldo on 26 goals. Quinones saved his best performance for the final day. By netting a hat-trick against Al-Ittihad, the striker – who joined Al-Qadsiah in the summer of 2024 from Liga MX side Club América – took his final tally to 33 goals, leaping to the summit to claim the Golden Boot.
European heavyweights left in the wake
The achievement is made all the more remarkable given the caliber of competition Quinones had to overcome. By reaching 33 goals, the former Club America man managed to deny Ronaldo a third consecutive Golden Boot award in Saudi Arabia. Although the Portuguese icon scored twice in Al-Nassr’s 4-1 victory over Damac on the final day to finish the season with 28 goals and clinch the title for his team, it was not enough to keep pace with Quiñones. Ronaldo has, therefore, missed out on a third successive Golden Boot.
The race went down to the wire with former Brentford striker Toney finishing the campaign in second place with 32 goals. Toney, leading the line for Al-Ahli, was unable to find the net in his final outing against Al-Khaleej, allowing the Al-Qadsiah forward to leapfrog him at the very last moment.
Ronaldo legendary record remains intact
Despite losing out on the individual trophy this season, Ronaldo can take solace in the fact that his greatest statistical milestone remains unthreatened. The Al-Nassr captain holds the record for the most goals ever scored in a single Saudi Pro League season.
While Quiñones and Toney pushed each other to incredible heights, neither could reach the historic 35-goal record set by the Portuguese superstar during the 2023-24 campaign. Ronaldo’s mark of 35 goals in just 31 appearances continues to stand as the gold standard for strikers in the Gulf state.
For Quiñones, the timing of this individual accolade could not be better. With the 2026 World Cup on the horizon, the striker has sent a clear message to Mexico manager Javier Aguirre regarding his readiness for the international stage. His form in a league containing some of the world’s most expensive defensive talent suggests he is ready to lead the line for El Tri.
