Cristiano Ronaldo expressed his gratitude to Al Nassr’s fans and shared his pride in his teammates following their exit from the AFC Champions League semi-finals.
The legendary Portuguese player was unable to prevent his team from losing 3-2 to Japanese side Kawasaki Frontale in the one-match knockout round that took place in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday evening. Despite taking eight shots, Ronaldo couldn’t score and missed a key chance from close range during stoppage time.
At the final whistle, Ronaldo was spotted remonstrating with himself, seemingly walking through the closing stages of a deeply frustrating defeat.
“Sometimes, dreams are delayed,” the 40-year-old posted on social media after the match. “I take pride in our team and all we put out on the field. Heartfelt thanks to our supporters who believed in us and cheered us on every step of the journey. Your support means everything to us.”
By crashing out of the Champions League, Al Nassr have effectively been consigned to another trophy-less season. The Riyadh-based side trail Karim Benzema’s league-leading Al Ittihad by eight points with five matches remaining. Al Hilal are also two points above Ronaldo’s third-placed outfit.
The side led by Stefano Pioli started the season by losing the Saudi Super Cup to Al Hilal before quickly tumbling out of the King’s Cup in the last 16. Al Nassr had breezed past Japan’s Yokohama F. Marinos in the Champions League quarter-finals before coming unstuck against their domestic rivals Kawasaki.
Ronaldo has not been short of goals since ditching Manchester United to join Al Nassr in December 2022. The relentlessly prolific forward boasts an impressive return of 91 in 102 appearances for the club, yet only has one minor trophy, last year’s Arab Club Champions Cup, to show for his efforts.
Although there has been no announcement of any extension to a contract which expires in June, it has been claimed that Ronaldo will prolong his stay in Saudi Arabia as he continues his search for that elusive piece of silverware.
