Ronaldo’s Al Nassr Falls to 8th-Place Team in Saudi Pro League

The Portuguese star played the full match but failed to contribute to the scoresheet.

On Thursday, February 21, the Saudi Pro League held its 21st round, featuring a match between Al Nassr and Al Ettifaq at Al Awwal Park in Riyadh. Unfortunately for Cristiano Ronaldo, who considers himself the greatest forward in history, he had no goal contributions. As a result, Al Nassr suffered a shocking 2-3 defeat.

Earlier this week, Ronaldo’s team played in the final round of the AFC Champions League Elite League, drawing 0-0 away against Iran’s Persepolis. Ronaldo and newly signed forward Jhon Durán, who joined from Aston Villa in the winter transfer window, missed that game. Despite this, Stefano Pioli’s side finished third in the Western Region standings with 17 points, securing a spot in the tournament's Round of 16.

For today's match, CR7 — who recently extended his contract with Al-Nassr for another year — was back in the squad, increasing anticipation for the game. The 2016 European champion, earning over $4 million per week, is chasing his 1,000th career goal, with just 76 more to go. However, for the fans of the 40-year-old forward, that milestone did not come closer today. Not even the presence of Ukrainian heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk, who parodied Ronaldo’s famous celebration before kickoff, could change his fortunes.

A Dramatic Second Half

The first half ended goalless. Ronaldo had several chances, but the opposing goalkeeper stood firm. Al Ettifaq hit the post three times in the 45th minute but couldn’t find the net. The match came alive in the second half.

Al Nassr took the lead early in the second half when Sadio Mané sent in a cross from the left, and Al Ettifaq’s defender mistakenly headed the ball, which ricocheted off Ayman Yahya into the goal. However, former Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum responded with a one-on-one finish from an offside position. Referee Kirill Levnikov, officiating the match, correctly disallowed the goal — 1-1.

Mané thought he had put Al Nassr back in front, but this time, the offside decision stood firm.

In the 65th minute, Marcelo Brozović delivered a corner to Mohammed Al-Fatil, who found the net to restore Al Nassr’s lead. However, the final moments belonged to Al Ettifaq.

First, Al-Fatil turned from hero to villain, inadvertently scoring an own goal after a cross from Mohammed Abdulrahman, leveling the match at 2-2. Then, in the 89th minute, Wijnaldum sealed the victory with a clinical strike from inside the box, curling the ball into the far corner — 2-3.

To add to Al Nassr’s misery, Jhon Durán received a red card in the 90th minute for excessive protests toward the referee.

Ronaldo’s Goal Drought

Cristiano Ronaldo played the entire match but failed to register a goal or an assist. This marks his second consecutive match without a goal, having also drawn a blank in Al Nassr’s 3-2 win over Al Ahli last week.

Following this upset, Al Nassr now sits in fourth place in the Saudi Pro League standings with 44 points. Al Ettifaq, with 28 points, remains in eighth place. The league leaders, Al Ittihad, have 52 points from 20 matches.

A tough night for Ronaldo and Al Nassr.

Published by Patrick Jane
22.02.2025