Fans have reacted to Cristiano Ronaldo returning for Al-Nassr’s Riyadh Season Cup clash with Al-Hilal on Thursday (February 8).
Ronaldo – who recently turned 39 – has been suffering from a calf issue but informed on Instagram that he has recovered and raring to ‘return to action’. It’s pertinent to note that the Portugal captain’s absence forced the postponement of Al-Nassr’s two friendlies in China last month.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner was also not fit enough to face Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami in their Riyadh Season Cup opener on February 1. Nevertheless, Ronaldo watched from the stands as his side decimated the MLS visitors 6-0.
A week later, Ronaldo is set to feature for Al-Nassr in their final Riyadh Season Cup game. Fans are excited to see the return of the legend, with one tweeting:
“The King is back”
Another chimed in:
“Mission hat-trick”
Here’s a look at the top reactions on X:
Both Al-Hilal and Al-Alami beat Inter Miami in their Riyadh Season Cup opener, with the former winning 4-3 on January 29. Their meeting on Thursday will be the final friendly for both clubs before they return to competitive action next week.
What happened the last time Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr played Al-Hilal?
Cristiano Ronaldo and Al-Nassr drew a blank when they last met. Al-Hilal ran out 3-0 winners at home in the Saudi Pro League clash on December 1.
Sergej Milinkovic-Savic opened the scoring before Aleksandar Mitrovic’s brace sunk Luis Castro’s side, snapping their 12-game unbeaten league run, winning 11, since back-to-back losses at the start of the season.
Ronaldo, meanwhile, is having a sparkling season, continuing to age like fine wine. In his first full season in Saudi Arabian football, the Portugal captain has notched up 24 goals and 11 assists in 25 games across competitions.
That includes league-leading tallies of 20 goals and nine assists in 18 games, with Al-Nassr only trailing runaway leaders Al-Hilal (53) by seven points after 19 rounds of games/
Thank You!