Al-Nassr Faces Agonizing Defeat to Al-Ahli in Thrilling Encounter

Al-Nassr experienced a heartbreaking 3-2 defeat on Friday evening in a match filled with intense drama.

Ivan Toney opened the scoring for Al-Ahli with two goals, granting them a 2-0 advantage. However, Abdulelah Al-Amri responded with a brace, leveling the score for Ronaldo’s side. The decisive moment came in the 55th minute when Demiral netted Al-Ahli’s third goal, ultimately leading to their victory. Although Al-Ahli faced a setback with a red card in injury time, Al-Nassr could not capitalize on the opportunity. Ronaldo struggled to find his rhythm throughout the match, notably missing a crucial chance by shooting over the bar, marking his team’s first defeat of the season. Despite the loss, Al-Nassr remains at the top of the Saudi Pro League, with Al-Hilal only two points behind and holding a game in hand.

In light of Al-Nassr’s defeat, Ronaldo has refrained from posting on social media, despite having shared a motivational message prior to the match. Former Juventus teammate Demiral took to social media to mock him, sharing an AI-generated image of himself reading a newspaper that humorously crossed out the phrase “Al-Nassr never lost a match this season” and replaced it with “Al-Nassr never played with Al-Ahli this season.”

Following the match, Ronaldo and Joao Felix found themselves in a heated exchange with Rui Pedro Braz, an Al-Ahli director. Braz rushed onto the field to celebrate with his team’s goalkeeper but inadvertently brushed past the two Portuguese players, resulting in a negative reaction. Reports indicate that Braz has since reached out to both Ronaldo and Felix to apologize, clarifying that the goalkeeper, Abdulrahman Al-Sanbi, had been upset due to a mistake made during the game.

Prior to the match, Ronaldo conveyed through Instagram, “We are on the right path and we know what we need to do in 2026!” In contrast, Al-Ahli later shared a photo of a visibly disappointed Ronaldo alongside Demiral, captioning it with the phrase “Sweet dreams.”

Ronaldo has previously declared the Saudi Pro League to be among the most competitive globally, a sentiment that has gained relevance given his ongoing challenges in securing the league title. He stated, “The Saudi Pro League is better than Ligue 1, of course. I’m not saying that because I play here. I don’t care what people think about it. Players should come here and they will see quickly. Just try to do sprints at 38, 39, 40 degrees…”

He further articulated his commitment to the league upon signing a new contract, stating, “I am happy because I know that the league is very competitive. Only the people who have never played in Saudi, they don’t understand anything about football when they say this league is not top five [in the world].” He expressed his belief in the league’s potential leading up to the 2034 World Cup, which will be held in Saudi Arabia.

Looking ahead, Al-Nassr will seek redemption against Al-Qadsiyah on Thursday. Currently positioned fifth in the league, Al-Qadsiyah may view Ronaldo and his teammates as vulnerable after their recent setback, leaving the outcome of the match uncertain. To date, Ronaldo has scored 13 goals in 12 league appearances this season, though he notably missed several scoring opportunities in Friday’s game.