Photo: Cristiano Ronaldo
Saudi club Al-Nassr, for whom the Portuguese plays, lost in the final to a team from Japan, Gamba Osaka, although many world celebrities, led by Ronaldo, play for the Saudi club.
Ronaldo left the pitch after the final whistle
Al-Nassr lost 0-1 to Gamba Osaka in the Asian Champions League second-tier final. Although the Saudi Arabian club held the advantage throughout the match, they failed to score. None of Cristiano Ronaldo’s seven shots reached the target.
After the match, the cameras recorded the emotional reaction of the star footballer, who immediately headed to the back room and did not return to the ceremony of awarding silver medals, emphasizes Reuters. Although Ronaldo is the captain of the team.
Head coach Jorge Jesus and striker Joao Felix, Ronaldo’s compatriots, had to lead the team to the awarding ceremony. The absence of which caused an active discussion in social networks and soccer press.
A blow to ambitions
To some extent, Ronaldo can be understood. The defeat was another setback for Ronaldo’s club in the fight for an international trophy. Despite Saudi soccer’s heavy investment and star-studded squad, Al-Nassr has never won a FIFA-recognized international tournament since 2023.
The situation has reignited the debate about the sporting performance of Saudi clubs, which are actively investing in global stars in an attempt to raise the global status of the national championship. And also about whether star players, especially younger ones (Ronaldo is already 41), should go to the Saudi league for more money.
