Ronaldo's Devastated Expression Tells the Story as Al Nassr's Meltdown Continues
Cristiano Ronaldo made no effort to conceal his frustration after being taken off with seven minutes left in Al Nassr's 3–1 loss to Al Hilal on Monday evening.
The experienced striker had put his team ahead just before halftime. A clever pass over Al Hilal's defensive line from João Félix was knocked across the goalmouth by Kingsley Coman, allowing Ronaldo to fire into the top corner. This strike marked Ronaldo's 15th goal in a league campaign that has only reached 14 matches.
However, the defending Saudi champions rallied after the interval and leveled the score in the 57th minute through a spot kick converted by star player Salem Al-Dawsari. While attempting to stop Al Hilal from quickly retrieving the ball for a fast restart, Al Nassr keeper Nawaf Alaqidi made contact with Rúben Neves's face with his glove, which following a VAR check resulted in an unnecessary dismissal.
Al Hilal capitalized on their man advantage in the 81st minute when Mohamed Kanno surged forward from the middle of the park to give the home side the lead. Two minutes later, Jorge Jesus made a decision that few coaches have dared to make.
استبدال كريستيانو رونالدو 🔄🟡#الهلال_النصر | #ديربي_العاصمة_على_ثمانية pic.twitter.com/nzPoMFohzr
With his team down by one goal, Jesus removed his record-setting captain and brought on 20-year-old Brazilian attacker Wesley for fresh energy. Ronaldo shook his head with an incredulous smile, marching to the sideline where he spread his arms wide in frustration.
This marked the first occasion in Ronaldo's Al Nassr tenure that he was substituted during a losing effort. His sole previous league substitution occurred in injury time of a 2–0 win against Al Ittihad after he had already found the net.
The tactical switch backfired: Al Nassr immediately allowed a third goal—though Jesus could be excused for attempting something different given that the current approach isn't delivering results.
Ronaldo Starts 2026 With Unwanted Record
Ronaldo Starts 2026 With Unwanted Record
Al Nassr have dropped their previous three matches, giving Ronaldo the poorest beginning to any calendar year in his professional career. The 40-year-old has never before endured three consecutive losses to start a new year.
Ronaldo experienced defeats in Real Madrid's opening two fixtures of 2015 before ending the streak with a win over Espanyol. Nine years prior, Manchester United went without a victory in their first five games of 2006, though Ronaldo still managed three draws alongside two losses.
Al Nassr had been leading the Saudi Pro League standings after securing 10 consecutive wins to open the campaign before this current four-match winless streak began. Ronaldo's team has now dropped to second place, trailing seven points behind an increasingly dominant Al Hilal squad.
Following last week's defeat to Al Qadisah, a game Ronaldo completed (and scored in), the team captain posted on social media with an encouraging message: "This fight isn't over. We keep working and we will rise together!"
Following his substitution controversy, there has been complete silence—which speaks volumes.