How Ronaldo Reacted After Strange Own Goal Delayed Al Nassr’s Saudi League Celebrations
- Cristiano Ronaldo was heartbroken after a bizarre goal prevented Al-Nassr from clinching the Saudi League title in front of their fans
- The Riyadh giants must now beat Damac in their final fixture of the season to secure a first league crown since 2019
- Meanwhile, fans on social media pointed fingers at goalkeeper Bento, blaming the Brazilian shot-stopper for the freak incident
Cristiano Ronaldo was shattered after Al-Nassr saw certain Saudi Pro League glory slip from their grasp in the most dramatic fashion imaginable on May 12.
The Knights of Najd looked set to end a seven-year wait for the domestic crown after defender Mohammed Simakan fired them ahead against fierce rivals Al Hilal.
Source: Getty Images
Strange goal delays Al-Nassr's celebrations
Victory would have sealed the championship and handed Ronaldo his first major title since arriving in Saudi Arabia in January 2023.
Instead, disaster struck deep into stoppage time: with Hilal desperately chasing an equaliser, a hopeful long throw into the penalty area triggered chaos inside the box.
According to ESPN, Brazilian goalkeeper Bento and former Barcelona defender Iñigo Martínez collided while attempting to deal with the danger, causing the ball to spill awkwardly over the line.
Watch the bizarre own goal, as shared on X:
Al Amri tried desperately to hack it clear at the final moment, but the damage had already been done as the contest ended 1-1.
The dramatic own goal means Nassr’s wait for the league crown goes on, with Ronaldo and his teammates now needing to beat Damac on May 21 to finally secure the title.
For Hilal, the late leveller keeps their fading hopes alive.
They still need victories against Neom SC and Al Fayha while also relying on Nassr to drop points in their final fixture, according to The Athletic.
Source: Twitter
How Ronaldo reacted to bizarre own goal
While the title race remains open, the painful manner of the equaliser clearly took an emotional toll on Ronaldo, who had already lost a significant number of his followers on Instagram.
In a video circulating on social media and seen by YEN.com.gh, the 41-year-old appeared frozen in disbelief after watching the dramatic finale unfold from the bench.
The Portuguese superstar sat motionless, gesturing repeatedly as he tried to process the cruel twist that had just unfolded before him.
Watch the video, as shared on X:
At one point, he remained seated in silence before a teammate approached to console him following the heartbreaking finish.
The footage quickly sparked debate online, with many supporters directing blame at Bento for the costly mix-up.
@PoshianW slammed the goalkeeper:
"This is a careless mistake by Bento, but regardless Al Nassr keep looking on the next match to cement our first title."
@JomoAbiama lamented:
"Ronaldo's teammates continue to let him down."
@iamunicon summed up:
"I am actually speechless. How does that even happen? You can't even blame pressure if no one was near him. Just a total freak accident at the worst possible moment."
Ronaldo drops retirement hint
YEN.com.gh also reported that Cristiano Ronaldo had dropped another hint that retirement may not be too far away.
The Al Nassr star admitted his playing career is nearing its end, although his love for football has remained the same.
Proofreading by Bruce Douglas, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.
Source: YEN.com.gh
