Reacting to Ronaldo’s performance last night against Lionel Messi’s Paris Saint Germain (PSG) in a friendly where the striker made his competitive debut for the Saudi club Al-Nasr.
The Portuguese reminded the fans of his talent when he scored twice in a friendly on Thursday, leading a team of Al Nassr and Al Hilal players against PSG.
Although Ronaldo’s side lost 4-5, the highly anticipated contest provided plenty of entertainment for fans as longtime rivals Ronaldo and Messi shared the pitch together for perhaps the last time.
Former India skipper Kohli has sent a strong message on his Instagram story to football pundits who have deliberately targeted Ronaldo for attracting attention lately.
“I’m still doing it at the highest level at 38. Football pundits sitting and slamming him every week for attention and headlines are conveniently silent now that he’s put on that kind of performance against one of the best clubs in the world. And it was apparently over.”
The Portuguese reminded fans of his talent when he scored twice in a friendly on Thursday, leading a team of Al Nassr and Al Hilal players against Lionel Messi’s Paris St Germain.
Decked out in shades of blue, Ronaldo scored a clear penalty and followed it up with his trademark ‘Siu’ celebration before striking again after a rebound as he opened a new chapter in his career a month into a campaign disappointing World Cup.
Ronaldo left the pitch in tears after Portugal were eliminated in the quarter-finals in Qatar, but the talismanic striker was back in good spirits during Thursday’s friendly in Riyadh, where fans are excited for the arrival of the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.
“So happy to be back on the pitch and on the scoresheet!! And excited to see old friends again!” Ronaldo said in a social media post, along with some photos, including him with the ‘Man of the Match’ award.
So happy to be back on the pitch, and on the game sheet!! And nice to see old friends again!๐๐ผ https://t.co/qZqKGHsrVD
โ Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano) 1674164360000
Ronaldo’s move to Al Nassr, estimated by the media at more than 200 million euros ($216.72 million), has drawn considerable attention to Saudi Arabia, which stands to reap monetary benefits from the deal .
(With contributions from Reuters)