Cristiano Ronaldo cut a furious and frustrated figure on the bench as his Al-Nassr side suffered a damaging 3-1 defeat to arch-rivals Al-Hilal on Monday, a result that leaves their Saudi Pro League title hopes hanging by a thread.
Derby Drama and Controversial Red Card
The 40-year-old Portuguese superstar had given his team the lead just before half-time, netting the 959th goal of his legendary career. However, the match turned on its head in the second half. Al-Hilal equalised from the penalty spot on 58 minutes, before Al-Nassr goalkeeper Nawaf Alaqidi was controversially sent off following a VAR review for an incident with Al-Hilal's Ruben Neves.
Replays showed minimal contact, but the initial yellow card was upgraded to red, forcing Al-Nassr to play the remainder of the crucial Riyadh derby with ten men. The numerical advantage told swiftly, as Neves set up Mohamed Kanno to put Al-Hilal 2-1 ahead.
Ronaldo's Bizarre Reaction to Substitution
With the match slipping away, Al-Nassr manager Jorge Jesus made the decisive call to substitute his captain just two minutes after Al-Hilal's second goal. Ronaldo, who was replaced by Sultan Al-Ghanam, was visibly incensed, appearing to mouth the word 'impossible' as he trudged off the pitch.
His anger did not subside on the bench. As Ruben Neves sealed the 3-1 win for Al-Hilal in stoppage time, television cameras captured Ronaldo making a series of cryptic hand gestures, adding to the bizarre end to a miserable night for his club.
Title Race Slips Away for Al-Nassr
The defeat marks Al-Nassr's third consecutive loss and extends their winless run to four games at the start of 2026. More critically, it leaves them a daunting eight points behind the league leaders Al-Hilal, who are now unbeaten under manager Simone Inzaghi and are on a remarkable run of 19 consecutive wins across all competitions.
With 20 games still to play, the season is far from over, but Al-Nassr now face a monumental challenge to catch their rivals. The next derby is not until May, on the third-to-last weekend of the season, putting immense pressure on Ronaldo and his teammates to produce an immediate and sustained turnaround in form.
For Ronaldo, the pursuit of silverware remains paramount. Since his high-profile move from Manchester United in December 2022, the only trophy he has lifted with Al-Nassr is the 2023 Arab Club Champions Cup. Last summer, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner extended his contract until 2027 and publicly stated his ambition to continue playing until he scores 1,000 career goals. However, without a major league title, his time in Saudi Arabia risks being defined by frustration rather than glory.
