Cristiano Ronaldo was visibly furious after being substituted during Al-Nassr's 3-1 defeat to local rivals Al-Hilal on Monday. The 40-year-old forward had given his side the lead just before half-time with his 959th career goal, but the match turned after Al-Nassr goalkeeper Nawaf Alaqidi was sent off for violent conduct.
Al-Hilal equalised from the penalty spot in the 58th minute, and Alaqidi's red card reduced Al-Nassr to 10 men. Ruben Neves then set up Mohamed Kanno to make it 2-1, and Ronaldo was substituted two minutes later by manager Jorge Jesus. The Portugal captain appeared to mouth the word 'impossible' as he left the pitch.
After Neves scored a third for Al-Hilal in stoppage time, television cameras showed Ronaldo making cryptic hand signals on the bench. The defeat leaves Al-Nassr eight points adrift of the league leaders, with 20 games remaining in the season.
Al-Hilal remain unbeaten in the Saudi Pro League under Simone Inzaghi and are on a 19-match winning run across all competitions. Ronaldo, who extended his contract until 2027, has stated his ambition to reach 1,000 career goals and win more trophies with Al-Nassr.
