The heartwarming reason Cristiano Ronaldo changed his celebration in Al Nassr vs Al Rayyan

Cristiano Ronaldo netted Al Nassr’s second goal against Al Rayyan at Al Awwal Park during Matchday 2 of the 2024-25 AFC Champions League Elite. The Portuguese star surprised everyone when he changed his usual celebration for one in which he signaled the sky with his two hands.

After the match, Ronaldo explained that he wanted to dedicate his goal to his late father, whose birthday would have been today (Sep. 30th). “Today’s goal has a different flavor… I wish my father was alive because today is his birthday,” he told the press.

The Al Nassr forward marked his 904th career goal with this strike against Al Rayyan, which was enough to give Al Nassr their first victory (2-1) in the AFC Champions league this season. Stefano Pioli’s men have extended their winning streak to four consecutive matches.

After missing Al Nassr‘s opening match in the competition, which ended in a 1-1 draw against Al Shorta, Ronaldo helped the team add three points and move up to the third spot of the Group B table.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s celebration in Al Nassr-Al Rayyan (Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images)

This game marked Ronaldo’s 10th appearance in the AFC Champions League Elite, where he has scored 7 goals and provided 2 assists in his 9 outings. The Portuguese star aims to add this trophy to his already impressive collection of titles, especially after Al Nassr were eliminated in the quarterfinals of the competition last season.

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Cristiano Ronaldo celebrated the win on his social media

After the match, Ronaldo celebrated Al Nassr’s win with a post on his social media accounts. “Hard work pays off. Let’s keep going!” he wrote. The star, who recently recovered from a viral infection, is back in full force to keep helping the team extend their momentum.

At 39 years old, Ronaldo has had a remarkable start to the season with Al Nassr, tallying 4 goals and 1 assist in his five appearances in the Saudi Pro League. With this goal, he now has a total of seven goals and two assists in all competitions.