Cristiano Ronaldo once again found himself at the centre of attention during Al-Nassr’s 3–1 win over Neom, after venting his frustration at the referee before going on to score in the second half.
The 40-year-old Portuguese forward was on target as Al-Nassr extended their three-point lead at the top of the Saudi Pro League, recording their third consecutive win and 14th victory in 16 matches.
The first half ended goalless, and a visibly irritated Ronaldo directed a sarcastic outburst at referee Abdullah Al Shehri as the teams left the pitch. “Well done, well done. Keep going like that, you’re doing a good game — very good game you do,” the veteran forward was heard saying in a cutting tone.
Just minutes after play resumed, Angelo Gabriel broke the deadlock for Al-Nassr. Moments later, Neom were reduced to ten men after Luciano Rodriguez was shown a red card for violent conduct following a VAR review.
Al-Nassr were soon awarded a penalty when João Félix was fouled inside the box — a chance that allowed Ronaldo to make amends after an earlier missed opportunity from close range. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner made no mistake from the spot, netting his 953rd career goal.
Félix later added Al-Nassr’s third before Neom scored a late consolation, sealing a comfortable 3–1 away victory for Jorge Jesus’ side. The result keeps Al-Nassr firmly in control of the title race as Ronaldo looks to capture his first Saudi Pro League title and his first major club trophy since leaving Manchester United in December 2022.
After the match, Ronaldo posted on social media: “Working on our dream!”
Recently, the Portuguese star claimed that scoring in the Saudi top flight presents a tougher challenge than in La Liga, where he spent nine glittering years with Real Madrid.
“I don’t need to speak, because they can say whatever they want — the numbers don’t lie,” Ronaldo told Piers Morgan Uncensored.
