Why Cristiano Ronaldo refused to collect medal after Al-Nassr defeat

Cristiano Ronaldo left the pitch in frustration, storming down the tunnel without collecting his runners-up medal after Al-Nassr’s 4-1 collapse in the Saudi Super Cup final.

The 39-year-old opened the scoring, putting Al-Nassr 1-0 ahead against fierce rivals Al-Hilal.

However, Al-Nassr conceded four goals in just 17 minutes during the second half, with two coming from former Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic.

Al-Hilal, who also beat Al-Nassr to the Saudi Pro League title last season, took control of the match, leaving Ronaldo visibly frustrated.

As Al-Hilal netted their third goal, Ronaldo was seen making exasperated gestures with his arms. When ex-Barcelona winger Malcom added the fourth, Ronaldo’s frustration boiled over.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner vented his anger at his teammates, gesturing towards them in a way that appeared to suggest they had ‘frozen’ under pressure.

He also put his hands together beside his head, signaling that they had been ‘sleeping’ on the pitch.

Despite Ronaldo’s efforts to wake his team, Al-Nassr couldn’t recover, losing their first opportunity to secure silverware this season.

When the time came to collect the runners-up medals, Ronaldo was nowhere to be seen.

Footage later revealed him walking towards the dressing room, choosing to leave the stadium without his medal.

As Ronaldo enters his second full season with Al-Nassr, his time in Saudi Arabia has been a mixture of highs and lows.

Though he has netted an impressive 66 goals in 72 games and helped his team win the Arab Club Champions Cup early last term,

Al-Nassr’s 14-point deficit behind Al-Hilal in the previous season’s title race shows there’s still much to improve.

On the international stage, Ronaldo’s Euro 2024 campaign with Portugal ended in disappointment, as he failed to score in five matches and his team was knocked out in the quarterfinals by France.

Despite turning 40 in February, former Manchester United teammate Rio Ferdinand has suggested that Ronaldo isn’t slowing down anytime soon.

“I can’t give too much away but I’ve been doing a few bits with Cristiano behind the scenes and he’s playing as long as he wants,” Ferdinand revealed on Rio Reacts.

“He ain’t going nowhere.

“And I was gobsmacked.

“And listen, you’ll see it in time, but minimum three years I think he plays for again.”

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