Cristiano Ronaldo surprised the soccer world when he announced his move to Saudi Arabia in January of last season. Though a shock for many, it was quite clear to see that the Portuguese star’s performance is dipping.
After making the move Ronaldo scored 20 goals in 26 appearances with 6 goals coming from penalties and only 4 goals coming from outside the box. Though Ronaldo won his first trophy with the club after defeating Al Hilal in the final of the Arab Club Champions Cup the goals he scored are nothing out of the ordinary.
Al Nassr are currently 0 for 2 in the league this season with their recent defeat coming at the hands of Al-Taawoun. After the match, clips about Ronaldo’s performance started to pop up online. In one such clip, fans can see Ronaldo hitting the wall from a set-piece routine and missing a one-on-one chance with the goalkeeper. The X user also claimed that Ronaldo’s quality was deteriorating and said, “This decline is honestly sad to see.”
This decline is honestly sad to see…
— MC (@CrewsMat10) August 18, 2023
Some users commented by saying “Prime Ronaldo bangs that to the very top before the keeper thinks of coming out.” Another user said, “He’s finished.” Some also hinted that Cristiano Ronaldo is heading“He is not getting any younger and he can’t play forever.,” “Idolo must retire now.”
Prime Ronaldo bangs that to the very top before the keeper thinks of coming out.
— IRUNNIA (@Irunnia_) August 18, 2023
He’s finished
— psychdegen 💚🌙 (@psychdegen) August 18, 2023
He is not getting younger and he can’t play forever. He has achieved so much and I’m happy for him.
— EKITI NO. 1 SHAWARMA PLUG (@iMotivateAfrica) August 18, 2023
Idolo must retire now pic.twitter.com/c8AZOLz3rQ
— ChrisExcel (@ChrisExcel102) August 18, 2023
This dip in performance is not something new for Ronaldo as his second season at United showed that he is not capable of playing at the top level anymore. It looks unlikely that Al Nassr will let go of the Portuguese superstar as he brings the club a lot of value.
The injury update on Cristiano Ronaldo
In the Arab Club Champions Cup Ronaldo was stretched off the field in the 115th minute due to suffering a knee injury which made fans very much concerned as the new League season was just around the corner. Manager Luis Castro commented on this by saying that he will return to the playing field as soon as possible.
Ronaldo got injured 😭
Even after scoring 2 goals playing with 10 players to help Al Nassr win the Champions League, Cristiano Ronaldo was still pressuring at the 115th minute and got injured. No one has more commitment in the world. 🐐 pic.twitter.com/1s0DO76JBN
— Svetlana (@laneksa7) August 12, 2023
Though Ronaldo did not appear in the 2-1 defeat to Al-Ettifaq on August 14. His partner Georgina Rodriguez posted a story on Instagram showing that CR7 is slowly coming back to full fitness. Based on the performance on the pitch it looked like Ronaldo is not back 100%. But his club would need him back to his fullest very soon. Al Nassr is set to participate in the AFC Champions League playoffs on August 22.
It is to be noted that after Ronaldo’s move to Saudi, many players followed in his footsteps. Stars such as Neymar Jr. have made a move to the Saudi Pro League.