Cristiano Ronaldo sent out an emotional message on social media to Al-Nassr teammates following their heartbreaking King’s Cup exit. Al Nassr was beaten 2-1 by a 10-man Al-Ittihad side. The Portuguese superstar posted an emotional eight-word message which said, “We stand tall. We fight, always forward.”
For Ronaldo, the loss added to a growing list of near-misses in Saudi Arabia. Since joining Al-Nassr in 2023, the five-time Champions League winner has lifted just one trophy i.e, the Arab Club Champions Cup, while falling short in league and cup competitions. He is 40 but still chasing the once-unthinkable milestone of 1,000 career goals. Ronaldo’s drive continues to inspire his teammates despite setbacks.
Al Nassr crash out of the King’s Cup
Tuesday’s outing, however, was one to forget for Ronaldo after he managed five attempts on goal, only one of which troubled the keeper, and struggled to impose himself in attack beyond his assist. Despite dominating a large part of the match, Al-Nassr struggled to find the back of the net . Karim Benzema, Ronaldo’s former Real Madrid teammate turned rival, opened the scoring in the 15th minute from Moussa Diaby’s precise assist. Ronaldo soon shifted from finisher to creator, setting up Angelo Gabriel’s thunderbolt equalizer midway through the first half. But just before the break, Houssem Aouar punished a costly defensive lapse to put Al-Ittihad ahead again.
Hope flickered when Al-Ittihad went down to ten men after Ahmed Al Julaydan’s reckless challenge on Aiman Yahya. Al-Nassr threw everything forward Kingsley Coman and Sadio Mane missed golden chances, while Ronaldo’s looping header brushed inches over the bar. The team fired 22 shots, only five on target, but couldn’t find a way past an unyielding defense.
