Cristiano Ronaldo reacts on social media as Al-Nassr defeat FC Goa in his absence

Cristiano Ronaldo has reacted on social media after Al-Nassr secured a 2-1 win over FC Goa in the AFC Champions League. This comes after he missed the clash due to a reported decision by the Knights of Najd to rest him in fixtures outside Saudi Arabia.

In a post on his official Instagram handle, the 40-year-old revealed his reaction to Al-Nassr’s victory. He shared:

“🔥 🔥 🔥.”

During the clash, the Knights of Najd were the first to open the scoring through Angelo in the 10th minute. The right-winger received a pass from Abdulrahman Ghareeb and excellently dispatched the ball into the back of the net.

Haroune Camara scored to make the scoreline 2-0 in favor of Al-Nassr in the 27th minute. However, at the cusp of half-time (41’), Brison Fernandes gave FC Goa a much-needed lifeline after scoring a remarkable goal to reduce the deficit.

Despite FC Goa's goal in the closing moments of the first half, the Knights of Najd dominated proceedings in the second half. Thus, the encounter ended 2-1 in their favor.

Meanwhile, despite his importance in attack, Cristiano Ronaldo's absence was arguably not expected to deter the performance of Jorge Jesus's men. He has scored five goals and delivered one assist in five appearances this season.

"We decided he would rest" - Al-Nassr’s manager Jorge Jesus reveals why Cristiano Ronaldo was absent against FC Goa

Ronaldo performs sword dance during Saudi Arabia's National Day celebrations - Source: Getty

Jorge Jesus had earlier revealed that Al-Nassr decided to rest Ronaldo ahead of the clash against FC Goa. The Knights of Najd manager also disclosed that the Portuguese international was rested in order for him to be prepared for their forthcoming clash against Al-Hazem.

In an interview before Al-Nassr secured a 2-1 win over FC Goa, Jesus said (via GOAL):

"Everyone loves Cristiano Ronaldo, and he has a lot of fans. We decided he would rest when we play outside Saudi Arabia. Everyone wants to see him, but we have to make choices and we've decided to leave him in Riyadh to prepare for the next game."

Cristiano Ronaldo's presence will undoubtedly be key as the Knights of Najd look to maintain their brilliant start to the 2025-26 Saudi Pro League season. They are likewise the leaders in the standings, having registered 15 points from five league games this term.

About the author

Abel is an European football journalist who focuses primarily on analysis pieces and preview copies at Sportskeeda. A B.Sc degree holder in Economics, he has a previous work experience of 3 years – a year at Opera News Hub where he was promoted as a 'Verified Sports Writer,’ and over two years at Sportskeeda as a revenue-share writer, where his writing skills have ultimately led him to be integrated into the in-house team.

A Manchester United fan who grew up in a family of Red Devils supporters, he started his journey as an ardent football fan in his childhood. He used to spend hours watching the sport with his family and developed a knack for writing about the beautiful game over the years.

He is a huge admirer of Paul Pogba owing to the midfielder's ability to thread passes from anywhere on the pitch and his favorite manager is Jose Mourinho due to the Portuguese's tactical mind. He feels France's triumph in 2018 is his all-time favorite World Cup moment, and reckons Lamine Yamal and Endrick could replicate the rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Abel always strives to verify information, especially statistics, before penning a word and offers constructive but not defamatory criticisms. Apart from Europe's top five leagues, he follows the Eredivisie and the Primeira Liga. He loves to spend his free time playing video games like EA FC and watching movies.

Know More

Edited by Abel Yisa