Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the greatest footballers the world has ever seen but his current stint with Saudi Arabia club is not panning out in a sleek manner. Ronaldo failed to score a single goal on Friday and as a result, Al Nassr faced a humiliating 0-3 loss against arch-rivals Al Hilal at the King Fahd Stadium in Riyadh.
It was Sergej Milinkovic-Savic who marked the first goal in the 64th minute, followed by a brace from star striker Aleksandar Mitrovic (89', 90+2'). Al Hilal also stepped on the field without their star footballer Neymar, but his absence did not matter as they stretched their lead in the league table.
In the ongoing 2023-24 Saudi Pro League season, Al Hilal have sealed the top spot in the points table with 41 points as they are ahead of Al Nassr (34) and Al Ahli Saudi (30). On Friday, Ronaldo’s stint was summed up when fans started chanting Lionel Messi’s name in front of him. But the former Real Madrid player ended up laughing and was spotted sending kisses to the fans while walking off to the dugout.
It was back after the 2022 World Cup, that Ronaldo came to Saudi Arabia during the winter transfer window. Premier club Manchester United canceled his contract following a controversial interview with British journalist Piers Morgan. Ronaldo had a brilliant start but then soon his form started deteriorating and Al Nassr came down from the top spot in the Saudi Pro League, with Al Ittihad winning the title.
It looks like he will be deprived of winning the title this season too as he has been going through a lean form in the ongoing season. Ronaldo scored both goals when Al Nassr won the Arab Club Champions Cup and he also ended the tournament as the top-scorer, with six goals.