Cristiano Ronaldo made headlines for a remarkable display of sportsmanship during Al-Nassr's match against Persepolis in the Asian Champions League. In an unexpected turn, Ronaldo persuaded the referee to overturn a penalty decision that had initially been awarded to his team. Despite a perceived foul in the penalty box, Ronaldo acknowledged to the official that it wasn't a genuine foul, prompting the referee to cancel the penalty after taking help of the VAR system.
During the game, Al Nassr had a penalty claim dismissed after Ronaldo appeared to be tripped inside the visitors' area. However, the Portuguese forward conceded to the referee that it wasn't a foul, leading to the reversal of the penalty decision. While Persepolis had a goal disallowed early in the second half, Ronaldo missed a chance by shooting wide inside the opponent's penalty area.
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Early in the second half, the Al Nassr captain, aged 38, appeared to sustain a neck injury after a collision with Beiranvand while contesting a high ball. Ronaldo was subsequently substituted after 77 minutes due to apparent discomfort.
Al Nassr's goalless draw against Persepolis didn't hinder their progress to the Asian Champions League knockout stage. Despite the draw, the Saudi Arabian team had already sealed a spot in the next round by topping Group E undefeated. They only needed a point in the match at Al Awwal Park, managing to secure it despite playing most of the game with ten players. Al-Nassr's unbeaten run included 18 victories in their last 19 matches across various competitions in Riyadh.
In the same group, Al-Duhail from Qatar secured their first win, defeating Tajikistan's Istiklol 2-0, courtesy of Kenyan striker Michael Olunga's brace.
Meanwhile, in Group C, Al-Ittihad emerged victorious with a 2-1 scoreline against Uzbekistan's AGMK.