Cristiano Ronaldo, who was at the center of Al-Nassr’s Monday defeat, had a rare misstep. In the closing moments of the King’s Cup Round of 16 match against Al Taawon, the Portuguese star had the chance to level the score but sent his shot over the crossbar. Following the game, he broke his silence about the miss.
Choosing his official account on X (formerly known as Twitter) to share his thoughts, Ronaldo posted a message to his 113 million followers: “Every challenge is an opportunity to grow.” Accompanying the post was a photo in his Al-Nassr jersey, wearing the captain’s armband.
The post quickly garnered over 115,000 likes, with 9,000 shares and a flood of encouraging comments from fans, who urged their idol to persevere and keep pushing forward with Al-Nassr.
What lies ahead for Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr?
Tuesday’s loss to Al Taawon dashed Al-Nassr’s hopes of claiming the King’s Cup, one of their primary objectives this season. Now, they’ll shift focus to the other two competitions still in play: the AFC Champions League Elite and the Saudi Pro League.
In the AFC Champions League Elite, Asia’s premier club competition, Al-Nassr are well-positioned in Group B with two wins and a draw, placing them comfortably in contention for the next stage.
Meanwhile, in the Saudi Pro League, Al-Nassr have secured 18 points out of a possible 24 across six matches—a solid start, though Neymar’s Al-Hilal remain undefeated and lead the standings. With a long season ahead, Al-Nassr’s title hopes are still very much alive.
Ronaldo’s season so far
Despite the missed penalty against Al Taawon, Ronaldo’s performance this season has been impressive. Across all competitions, he has played 11 matches and scored 9 goals, maintaining a high scoring rate that ranks him among the Saudi Pro League’s top scorers.