February 09, (THEWILL) – Cristiano Ronaldo was involved in a brief, heated exchange with an on-pitch official, following his club, Al Nassr’s 2-0 loss to rivals, Al Hilal, in their friendly at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh on Thursday night.
The exhibition clash between the top two Saudi Arabian clubs, held during the league’s mid-season break, saw Al Hilal take an early lead through midfielder, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic. A second half strike from Salem Al Dawsari sealed a comfortable 2-0 victory for the current Saudi Pro League leaders.
Ronaldo, who captained Al Nassr, struggled to make an impact, with his side registering just three shots on target across the 90 minutes. The Portuguese was booked earlier in the game for smashing the ball into the crowd, visibly frustrated at a decision made by referee Tori Penso.
There was no way back for Ronaldo’s Al Nassr, with no further goals to their name, and they finished as runners-up. In an unusual post-match scene, WWE legend The Undertaker was present to hand Al Hilal the Riyadh Season Cup trophy, which was at stake in the exhibition match.
As Al Nassr lined up to form a guard of honour for the victorious Al Hilal side, Ronaldo appeared angered by an on-pitch official who briefly blocked his path. Video shows Ronaldo throwing his arm up in apparent frustration, exchanging brief words with the official, before walking through the guard of honour, acknowledging the applause.
While a disappointing night for Ronaldo and Al Nassr, Al Hilal will celebrate lifting the Riyadh Season Cup.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
