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Fans had tons of praise for Cristiano Ronaldo, as they took to social media to admire his actions towards the end of Al-Nassr's 3-1 win over Al-Wehda on Saturday.
Al-Nassr narrowed the gap on league leaders Al-Hilal, following a decisive 3-1 victory against Al-Wehda. Despite the win, Al-Nassr remains four points adrift of their rivals at the summit of the Saudi Pro League.
The match's opening goal was a masterfully executed free-kick by Alex Telles, which bore some resemblance to Ronaldo's free-kick ability. The goal set the tone for what was to be a commanding performance by Al-Nassr. As the first half neared its conclusion, Abdulelah Al Amri scored the second goal to cement their lead.
Cristiano Ronaldo, ever the talisman, scored the third goal in the second half and expanded his impressive goal tally to 13 from 12 league appearances. Anselmo contributed to the scoreline with a consolation goal later on, putting the score at 3-1.
However, VAR interventions negated goals from Al-Nassr's Anderson Talisca and substitute Abdulrahman Ghareeb. Fans caught a glimpse of Ronaldo engaging in a discussion with officials over Ghareeb's disallowed goal, showing his commitment even in the wake of a comfortable 3-1 victory.
This act resonated with the fans on Twitter, who lauded Ronaldo, with one fan saying that the Portuguese legend showed "true leadership". Another fan commented:
"That's why he's the GOAT."
Here is a selection of their tweets:
When Lionel Messi revealed he was open to playing alongside Cristiano Ronaldo
Lionel Messi once expressed his willingness to share the field with long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo.
Messi's latest Ballon d'Or win, a record in the annals of football, puts him three clear of any other player, with Cristiano Ronaldo being his nearest competitor. Ronaldo, a five-time recipient of the award, last won it in 2017 and was notably absent from this year's shortlist for the first time since 2003.
Back in 2015, Messi's response to the prospect of playing alongside Ronaldo was affirmative (via Sport Bible):
"Yes, of course. I always like to play with the best, and he is one of them. I think it will be difficult for us to play in the same team, but obviously I would like to."
However, with Ronaldo's current tenure in Saudi Arabia and Messi playing in the USA, the prospect of the two icons uniting on the same team seems more uncertain than ever.
