Cristiano Ronaldo sent a message on social media after scoring for Al-Nassr against Al-Diriyah amid the Portugal national team chaos. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has been in the headlines for the wrong reasons recently due to a remarkable row with Portugal head coach Jorge Jesus.
The ex-Real Madrid and Manchester United superstar left the Portugal national team camp abruptly ahead of their UEFA Nations League clash against Denmark. He reportedly had a fallout with manager Jorge Jesus for keeping him on the bench against Norway despite being asked to warm up for over 30 minutes.
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Cristiano Ronaldo hit out at Jesus for not keeping his promises and his international future currently hangs in the balance. However, the 41-year-old returned to scoring ways following the international break in Al-Nassr’s 3-0 win against Al-Diriyah on Friday, October 9.
The Portuguese legend gave his side the lead in the 23rd minute while Samu Costa and Kingsley Coman scored in the 35th and 77th minutes, respectively. After the game, Ronaldo sent a message on social media. He wrote on X:
“Job done. On to the next one! 💪🏽”
Following their win against Al-Diriyah, Al-Nassr find themselves second in the Saudi Pro League table. They are level on points with league leaders Al-Qadsiah but trail on goal difference.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Jorge Jesus previously worked together at Al-Nassr last season. The duo helped the Knights of Najd to win the Saudi Pro League, Ronaldo’s first league title in Saudi Arabia.
Gary Neville opens up on Cristiano Ronaldo’s situation with the Portugal national team
Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville has shared his disappointment with Cristiano Ronaldo regarding the Portugal national team chaos. The Portuguese icon hit out at Jorge Jesus for his decision to leave the national team camp during the international break. Gary Neville has criticised his ex-teammate for his comments, stating:
“I actually love him to bits. I can’t sit here and say I approve of that statement and think it was a good thing for him to do; it makes him more difficult to like. If you love him, it makes him more difficult to like; if you don’t like him, it makes you dislike him even more. In another year, when he’s retired, we will look back upon his greatness in football, and people won’t remember this ending.”
Cristiano Ronaldo apologized to his teammates for leaving the national team camp amid the UEFA Nations League. He also insisted that he is ready to accept any punishment from the Portuguese FA but insisted that he has no plans to retire from international football.
We will have to wait and see how the situation unfolds and whether Ronaldo faces any punishment.
Edited by Snehanjan Banerjee