Al-Ettifaq vs Al-Nassr: Al-Nassr’s star forward Cristiano Ronaldo expressed his frustration openly after being subbed out of the game following the first half of the Saudi Pro League 2026-27 fixture against Al-Ettifaq at the Prince Mohammed Bin Fahd Stadium, Dammam. In a video surfaced on social media, the 41-year-old was seen walking off with a look of frustration on his face and uttering some words.
Why was Cristiano Ronaldo subbed out of the contest?
The reigning champions were on a roll until this game when it got off to a horror start, with goalkeeper Bento given a red card in the 12th minute as an attempted clearance saw him take out striker Moussa Dembele. Al-Ettifaq were already 2-0 up in the bout as Onrej Duda and Alvaro Medran scored the two goals, putting the defending champions under immense pressure. With Al Nassr down to 10 men, Al Nassr were even more under pressure. But things turned around dramatically in the second half as Sadio Mane scored twice and Abdulelah Al-Amri netted once to fashion a remarkable 3-2 victory.
Cristiano Ronaldo 🇵🇹 returned to the locker room very angry at the break. 🤬
🎥 @thmanyahsports pic.twitter.com/T4v1uCr1w6
— ActuCR7 (@ActuCR7_) August 25, 2026
Speaking at the post-game presser, Ange Postecoglou stated that they were desperate to win and had to sub out Ronaldo in the second half, thereby trying a different approach. He stated, as quoted by Nassr Tribune:
“In the second half, we showed courage, and I’m happy for them. I’m here to help the team with what I see, and everyone knows that Ronaldo hasn’t played in a long time. He performed exceptionally well in the first half, and we opted for a different approach. My credit goes entirely to the players who delivered a fantastic performance in these conditions. When we went into halftime trailing, I explained to the players that the two goals could be recovered because they came from shots on goal. We had a chance to utilize the wings, and that’s what we did. What happened today is truly something to be proud of because my team achieved a victory under exhausting and difficult circumstances.”
Who will Al Nassr face next?
The reigning champions will next lock horns against 12th placed Al-Taawoun on Friday as Ronaldo will hope to retain his spot in the starting XI. Al Nassr have won three games in as many outings this season and hold the top spot in the points table.
The post WATCH: Cristiano Ronaldo Furious As Legend Gets Subbed Out After First Half Of Al-Ettifaq vs Al-Nassr Saudi Pro League 2026-27 Game appeared first on NewsX.