AL Nassr defeat: Cristiano Ronaldo experienced overwhelming emotions as he lay on the ground. He was shedding tears of despair, while his teammates and coaching staff consoled him.
Eventually, the five-time Ballon d’Or recipient was guided off the pitch and observed sitting on the sidelines before receiving the runners-up medal.
AL Nassr vs AL Hilal
This defeat proved to be a source of frustration for Ronaldo. He joined Al Nassr in December 2022. The team finished a considerable distance behind Al Hilal in the Saudi Pro League. AL Nassr trailed by 14 points, and also suffered a loss in the quarter-finals of the Asian Champions League.
🚨🚨| Cristiano Ronaldo was in tears after Al Nassr lost in the King Cup final. 😔 pic.twitter.com/b8IklanWaN
— CentreGoals. (@centregoals) May 31, 2024
It was a tense game that saw 3 red cards and 2 goals. David Ospine was red-carded for Al Nassr for handling the ball outside the area, while Ali Al-Bulayhi of Al Hilal was sent off for a headbutt on Sami-Al-Najei. Kalidou Koulibaly also received a red card for Al Hilal, leaving them with 10 players.
Aleksandar Mitrovic scored an early goal for Al Hilal, but Aiman Yahya equalized in the 88th minute, sending the game to extra time. Ronaldo scored a penalty, and Yassine Bounou saved the final two penalties for Al Nassr, emerging as the hero of the match.
Cristiano Ronaldo performance in Saudi pro league 2024
In his first full season in the Saudi Pro League, the 39-year-old player broke a league record by scoring 35 goals. Despite his outstanding performance, Al-Nassr fell short of winning the title once again.
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