Cristiano Ronaldo surprised millions of fans when he decided to sign with Al Nassr after the Qatar 2022 World Cup. The economic offer from Saudi Arabia was almost impossible to turn down, and the Portuguese star chose to initiate a soccer revolution in that country.
In his debut season, the legend couldn’t lift a single trophy despite all the expectations surrounding him. Al Nassr finished second in the Saudi Pro League behind Al Ittihad and were eliminated early in other tournaments such as the King Cup and the Saudi Super Cup.
After that failure, Cristiano Ronaldo is trying to turn things around in the 2023-2024 campaign. Al Nassr have already qualified for the Round of 16 in the AFC Champions League, and in the Saudi Pro League, they were just four points behind the leaders, Al Hilal.
This Friday, both teams faced each other at the King Fahd Stadium. CR7 and Al Nassr suffered a tough 3-0 loss amid a lot of refereeing controversy. Therefore, when fans started chanting the name of Lionel Messi, Cristiano’s reaction became a trending topic on social media.
Cristiano Ronaldo blowing kisses to Al-Hilal fans chanting ‘Messi’ at half-time 😘 (via @SPL_EN)
Cristiano Ronaldo is confronted by Al Hilal fans with chants of Lionel Messi
The Matchday 15 fixture in the Saudi Pro League was crucial for Cristiano Ronaldo and Al Nassr, as a victory would have left them just one point behind Al Hilal in the title race. However, they are now trailing by seven points after the setback.
Certainly, despite being two veterans, everything CR7 and Lionel Messi do continues to be compared. The Portuguese star is under tremendous pressure, especially after the Argentine won the World Cup and his eighth Ballon d’Or.
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Hence, during his time in Saudi Arabia, fans of rival teams have found Messi to be the key factor in unsettling Cristiano. The incident in the match against Al Hilal was just another example of this.
What’s next for Cristiano Ronaldo and Al Nassr?
After the loss to Al Hilal, the Al Nassr’s 20-match unbeaten streak came to an end. However, Cristiano Ronaldo and his teammates still have a long journey ahead with 19 games left to overcome the deficit in the Saudi Pro League.
Furthermore, the AFC Champions League would be the major title of the season for CR7. Currently, Al Nassr are already qualified for the Round of 16 after winning Group E against Persepolis, Al Duhail, and Istiklol.
Cristiano Ronaldo was confronted by fans of Al Hilal (Getty Images)
How many goals has Cristiano Ronaldo scored in his career?
Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 867 goals in his professional career. Now, even with age as a key factor, the Portuguese star revealed there’s a new challenge for him ahead: 1000 goals.
“It’s going to be quite challenging, but it’s about assessing my mental state and motivation. If, physically, my legs treat me as well as I treat them…we’ll see. It’s a step-by-step process. Before reaching 1 000, you have to reach 900 first. I believe I’ll achieve it.”
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