Cristiano Ronaldo has made a huge impact on not just Al-Nassr but also the Saudi Pro League, too. The Portuguese forward has been an instant hit and he showed his selflessness during the Saudi side’s win against Al-Shabab.
The former Manchester United star helped his Al-Nassr side to a 4-0 victory over Al Shabab on Tuesday in the Saudi Pro League.
Ronaldo netted twice in the first half, dispatching two penalties, with former Liverpool ace Sadio Mane and Sultan Al-Ghannam also on target.
But, it was his selflessness during the game, which denied him the glory of a hattrick, that has got fans talking on social media.
Ronaldo’s penalty passover
The 38-year-old, when his side won a penalty, handed the ball to Abdulrahman Ghareeb, therefore denying himself a chance of three goals.
The reaction from the crowd told you all you needed to know, they were not happy with the forward’s decision as they wanted to witness a Ronaldo hat trick.
Ironically, Gahreeb stepped up and struck the post and despite scoring the rebound, the goal was ruled out due to an infringement.
Despite this, Ronaldo’s professionalism and unselfishness was there to see, as he looked to help boost the confidence of his teammate, who had been struggling for form.
The Portuguese forward has been massive for the Pro League as it was his move, and his confidence in the move, that has seemingly lured some of Europe’s top players to the Middle East.
Ronaldo spoke confidently about his move back in January of 2023. Despite being a pioneer for the league, however, Ronaldo is aware that more needs to be done for the Saudi Pro League to improve.
“We have very good teams, very good Arab players, but the infrastructure – they need to improve a little bit more. Even the referees, the VAR system, should be a little quicker,” he said, according to CNN.