There was no hero. The arrows of defeat were aimed at the captain. Cristiano Ronaldo (41·Al Nassr) stood at the center of the season's first defeat, and he even faced intense calls from fans to retire.
Al Nassr lost 2-3 to Al Ahli in the 2025-2026 Saudi Pro League round 13 at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on the 3rd (Korean time).
It was Al Nassr's first loss of the season after an 11-match unbeaten run (10 wins, 1 draw) following the opener. Al Nassr remained on 31 points and allowed second-place Al Hilal (29 points), which has played one fewer match, to close the gap.
More painful than the result was the silence of captain Ronaldo. He played the full match but attempted four shots and recorded zero shots on target.
The decisive moment came in the 16th minute of the second half. Trailing 2-3, he squandered a one-on-one chance with the goalkeeper by missing the shooting timing due to clumsy ball control, losing a chance to equalize.
By contrast, Al Ahli was sharp from the first half. Ivan Toney, who previously played in the EPL, scored a brace in the first half and seized control of the match's momentum.
Public opinion after the match was ruthless. According to football outlet Goal.com, Al Nassr fans poured harsh criticism on Ronaldo. Reactions included "Today was a match that will go into the 'Hall of shame'" and "He should retire now. There are no more excuses."
The criticism intensified. Evaluations included "He is the main culprit of the defeat. He wasted several decisive chances," "He may still reach the 1,000-goal mark, but his performance is abysmal," and "He is completely finished."
Meanwhile, despite retirement pressure and public criticism, Ronaldo made clear his own standard. He said he has no intention of retiring until he reaches 1,000 career goals.
Ronaldo attended the 2025 Globe Soccer Awards ceremony in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on the 29th of last month and, after receiving the Middle East player of the year award, explained his future plans and retirement criteria himself.
At the time he emphasized, "I want trophies, and 1,000 goals is also a goal," adding, "If there are no injuries, I can reach it. Continuing to play is not easy, but there is a definite motivation that keeps me going."
Ronaldo's career total so far is 956 goals. He added two goals in the recent Saudi Pro League match against Al Akhdoud, reducing the remaining target to 44 goals. He has accumulated goals evenly with 813 at club level and 143 for the Portugal national team.
His club career is especially overwhelming. He scored 450 official goals during his time at Real Madrid, and he has scored more than 100 goals for four clubs — Manchester United, Juventus, Real Madrid, and Al Nassr. Ronaldo is the only player to do so.
His contract with Al Nassr runs until June 2027. He is maintaining double-digit goals this season, and given his current pace, reaching 1,000 goals within two years is considered a realistic scenario. Regarding the national team, he has the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North and Central America in mind as his final stage.
Earlier, in an interview with Piers Morgan in which he mentioned retirement, Ronaldo confessed, "I will be ready, but emotionally it will be very hard. I might even cry."
In this situation, due to an unprecedented slump, Ronaldo once again smeared his own reputation.
[Photo] ⓒGettyimages (unauthorized reproduction and redistribution prohibited), Fabrizio Romano social media.
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