Cristiano Ronaldo's torrid time continued as the legendary Portuguese footballer missed a stoppage-time penalty in Al-Nassr's King's Cup match against Al-Taawoun on Tuesday. The blunder put Al-Nassr out of the King’s Cup. They were 0-1 down, and Ronaldo had the golden opportunity to equalize in the dying stages of the match, but he uncharacteristically blew up the chance. Al-Nassr lost the match 0-1 and was eliminated from the tournament.
The five-time Ballon D’Or winner has yet to win a major trophy since signing for the club almost two years ago.
Playing at the round-of-16 stage of Saudi Arabia’s premier knockout competition, Al-Taawoun took the lead on Waleed Al-Ahmad's header with 20 minutes remaining. Al-Ahmad was then whistled for a foul in the area in the 95th minute.
Ronaldo had converted all 18 of his previous penalties for Al-Nassr but this time shot over the bar to the shock of the home crowd of 14,519. What's more? Ronaldo's shot hit a kid, who was trying to capture the action on his mobile phone camera. Videos of the kid losing his phone after the ball thudded onto his hand went viral.
Ronaldo was heavily criticized for missing the penalty. He also came up with a social media post after the match: “Every challenge is an opportunity to grow,” he wrote, promising to come back stronger.
The defeat is the first for Stefano Pioli since the Italian succeeded Luis Castro as head coach in September.
Ronaldo and Al-Nassr still have two chances at silverware this season but are already six points behind leader Al-Hilal after eight games of the Saudi Pro League and have seven points from three games in the group stage of the Asian Champions League.
“Technically we performed well but we couldn’t win the game,” Pioli said. “We feel disappointed to be out of the cup. But we still have two trophies to go for and we will give our best in them.”
Ronaldo's Saudi Arabia Misadventures
The five-time Ballon D’Or winner has yet to win a major trophy since signing for the club almost two years ago.
Playing at the round-of-16 stage of Saudi Arabia’s premier knockout competition on Tuesday, Al Taawoun took the lead on Waleed Al-Ahmad’s header with 20 minutes remaining. Al-Ahmad was then whistled for a foul in the area in the 95th minute.
Ronaldo had converted all 18 of his previous penalties for Al Nassr but this time shot over the bar and drew shock from the home crowd of 14,519 at Al-Awwal Park in the Saudi capital Riyadh.
The ball knocked over a young fan who was filming the Portuguese icon with his phone in the stands behind the goal.
Ronaldo has scored 73 goals in his 82 appearances for Al Nassr since joining the club in December 2022.
The defeat is the first for Stefano Pioli since the Italian succeeded Luis Castro as head coach in September.
Ronaldo and Al Nassr still have two chances at silverware this season but are already six points behind leader Al Hilal after eight games in the league, and have seven points from three games in the group stage of the Asian Champions League.
“Technically we performed well but we couldn’t win the game,” Pioli said.
“We feel disappointed to be out of the cup. But we still have two trophies to go for and we will give our best in them.”
Al-Nassr's Hopes Dwindle
It was supposed to be Cristiano Ronaldo's moment, as he stepped up to take a stoppage-time penalty for Al Nassr. Known for his calm composure in high pressure situations, the Portugal international had converted all 18 off his previous penalties for Al Nassr, but this time, the shot went over the bar, shocking a home crowd of 14,519.
It was enough as Al-Taawoun sealed a shock 1-0 win in their Round of 16 encounter of the ongoing King's Cup, Saudi Arabia's premier knockout competition.
Al-Taawoun took the lead through Waleed Al-Ahmad, who converted a header with 20 minutes remaining. Then in the 95th-minute, Al-Ahmad was whistled for a foul in the penalty area, but Lady Luck had other plans as Ronaldo missed his attempt.
Now, Ronaldo and Al Nassr have two more trophies to compete for this season. At the Saudi Pro League, they are six points behind leaders Al Hilal after eight games, and have seven points from three fixtures in the group stage of the Asian Champions League.
Al Nassr face Al Hilal in the Riyadh derby on Friday. Speaking to the Saudi Pro League's media team, head coach Stefano Pioli revealed that the prospect of working with Ronaldo was a huge factor in him accepting the job.
“Of course, I have always thought that Cristiano is a great champion. ut above all, a great professional with a great work ethic, a great culture of always trying to express oneself to the maximum,” he said.
“And therefore, I am discovering a boy who is no longer young, but with the same enthusiasm, with the same passion. As when he was a kid, he wanted to do things in wanting to always try to give the best, to reach the maximum, to score many goals and help the team. So, definitely a pleasant surprise.
“The fact that there is Cristiano in the team was also an important thing and so I accepted very willingly with a lot of enthusiasm, with a great desire to be able to do well,” he added.
