Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr were knocked out of the Saudi Super Cup on Thursday after they lost in the semi-final to Al Ittihad by 3-1 in Riyadh. Ronaldo had a couple of chances to score but was well shackled by the Al Ittihad defence for most of the match.
Anderson Talisca’s goal for Al Nassr in the 67th minute was not enough to turn around the deficit from two first-half goals for Al Ittihad from Romarinho and Abderrazak Hamdallah. Muhannad Al-Shanqeeti added the third three minutes into stoppage time.
Al Nassr will next travel to Al Fateh in the Saudi Pro League on Feb. 3. Ronaldo did make a winning start to life in the Saudi Pro League as he led Al Nassr to a 1-0 victory over Ettifaq on Sunday in his first match since becoming the best-paid footballer in history.
The Portuguese superstar didn’t score but there were promising signs for Al Nassr, who are eyeing a domestic and continental title after the 37-year-old moved for deals totalling more than 400 million euros.
However, Ronaldo’s league debut had an anticlimactic feel in front of 22,862 fans after he scored twice in this week’s lively 5-4 exhibition defeat to Lionel Messi’s Paris Saint-Germain.
Ronaldo arrived in oil-rich Saudi Arabia in early January but his debut was delayed while he served a two-match ban for knocking a mobile phone out of a fan’s hand while at Manchester United.
The move to Saudi is a step down for Ronaldo, an undisputable all-time great who has continually delivered on football’s biggest stages and amassed an astonishing haul of team and personal honours.
Ronaldo has most international goals to his name
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner is the all-time Champions League top-scorer, collecting five titles along the way, and has won seven domestic championships with Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus.
Ronaldo also holds the record for international goals — 118 with Portugal, with whom he won Euro 2016 — and career goals with 819. In Qatar last year, he became the first man to score at five World Cups.
Meanwhile, Twitter was abuzz with reactions on Al-Nassr’s exit from the Saudi Super Cup. Here are some of the Tweets:
Goat in the mud??
— Tom (@tom_adwar) January 26, 2023
FINISHED. pic.twitter.com/OtvDtbepMt
— Exclusive Messi (@ExclusiveMessi) January 26, 2023
Ronaldo left Manchester United. They are performing well
Ronaldo visited Real Madrid. Next day Barcelona trashed them.Sorry Al Nassr, you’re the latest victim
— Cleland jr ? (@official_clev) January 26, 2023
Ronaldo was the problem at United, now I can conclude as a finished Ronaldo fan
— Beno SarkCess (@BenopaOnyx1) January 26, 2023
How many times has AL-Nassr won Al-lttihad before now?? Y’all cap too much! pic.twitter.com/9KBH9yqlx5
— Brighton (@starboybrighton) January 26, 2023
Interesting how everyone now watches Saudi league and Saudi Cup matches. No offense Saudis, but who watched football from this part of the world before or even tweeted about it lol. Look at @ESPNFC and @goal all over it, lmfao.
— M M C (@M3L0C) January 26, 2023
As expected, Al Nassr hasn't won against this team for over 5years now, sadly the streak continues
— BJ7 (@Bjtheecreator) January 26, 2023
Lol so he couldn't perform magic???
— Man of the year NSE. & COREN certified. (@elvo95) January 27, 2023
— JERSEY & BOOT plug? ???? (@mr__topson) January 26, 2023
Manchester United fans be like, we told you. pic.twitter.com/IOjRD4RYeJ
— MusaJidda (@musajidda) January 26, 2023
If they had went on to win the trophy this time, you'd see Ronaldo fans coming up with stuffs like "Ronaldo has conquered Europe and Asia. Might soon come to Africa as well, and retire in America…"
— Crusoe Okwong?? (@14th_0_Eight) January 26, 2023
The only trophy Ronaldo has won in the season so far pic.twitter.com/meXFYAbH9d
— Natty Bongo (@NattyBongo107) January 26, 2023
Surprisingly, he left and man utd are almost into a final and are doing much better. Was he the problem?
— ??ÿk G?? (@MikeGitau) January 26, 2023
Ronaldo of Al Nassr can't deliver them… Even A GOAL he can't score.. He just bottled a cup.. Can't be My GOAT.
— DON LARRY ? (@Epistle_of_Don) January 26, 2023
?? He came, he saw, and he destroyed! No Penalty, No goal!
Everything he touches, finishes.
Ladies and gentlemen men, The Finished Man! pic.twitter.com/Jyq7KpyK7I— ???¹??? (@HM_Dominic) January 26, 2023
