Cristiano Ronaldo added another goal in the recent match with Al Nassr, which not only brings him closer to the 1,000-goal mark (he now has 970), but also helped the team securea 0-4 victory over Al Wasl in the quarterfinals of the AFC Champions League 2, sealing their spot in the semifinals.
However, before being substituted in the second half, the 41-year-old Portuguese star missed a clear scoring opportunity, which made him the target of criticism on social media.
CR7 Under Fire for Missing a Goal
The Al Nassr captain was responsible for opening the scoring in the 11th minute of the match thanks to a precise cross from Boushal. He was then substituted in the second half for Abdullah Al-Hamdan in the 68th minute.
Iñigo Martínez (24'), Abdulelah Al-Amri (26'), and Sadio Mané (80') added the rest of the goals for the win, but CR7 could have scored one more in the second half of the match.
The "Bicho" broke free, entered the six-yard box, and headed a cross from Brozovic high over the bar from just a few yards out, unmarked and with the goal practically empty.
The reaction was immediate. Cristiano himself put his hands to his head, incredulous at a rare miss in a career marked precisely by his efficiency in such plays.
At the same time, this also sparked criticism from fans who, far from sugarcoating the situation, vented their anger on X, calling the play "ridiculous" and even questioning his current form:
"Still couldn't believe how he missed it," said one of them. “The downfall in his heading ability has been so bad,” commented another.
"Coz he is so finished. Even my grandpa could easily score that. He can no longer do the only thing he is good at,” wrote a third fan. “It's been so long since he last scored a header, it's getting ridicilous,” added another.
While it's true that only 3 of the 26 goals Cristiano has scored this season have been headers, his goal-scoring instinct remains intact: he has 24 goals in the Saudi Pro League, placing him just three behind the top scorer, Ivan Toney, who has also played two more games with Al-Ahli.
Meanwhile, Al Nassr will play its next Saudi Professional League match at home on Wednesday, the 29th, against Al-Ahli (3rd), in a head-to-head clash at the top of the table that will pit two great goal scorers against each other.
