"Thinks he's better than what he is" - Ivan Toney calls out Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr teammate ahead of Saudi Super Cup final

Al-Ahli striker Ivan Toney is relishing the prospect of facing Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr teammate Mohamed Simakan this weekend. The Jeddah club is all set to lock horns with the Riyadh-based outfit at the Hong Kong Stadium on Saturday, August 23, in the Saudi Super Cup Final.

Ronaldo and Co. arrive at the game on the back of their 2-1 win over Al-Ittihad in the semifinal earlier this week. Al-Ahli, meanwhile, secured a 5-1 win against Al-Qadisiyah to book a place in the final, with Toney getting on the scoresheet.

The Englishman moved to the Middle East in the summer of 2024 from Brentford and registered 30 goals from 44 games last season. Simikan, meanwhile, also teamed up with Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr last summer and is now a key part of the starting XI.

Speaking to the press ahead of Saturday's game, Toney said it will be exciting to face the French defender.

“Whoever I’m up against It's always going to be a battle. Yeah it’ll be exciting to play against him again, He talks a lot on the pitch and thinks he's better than what he is so let's see if he can perform the same way tomorrow,” said Toney.

Al-Nassr recently added former Barcelona defender Inigo Martinez to their roster. The Spaniard arrived at the club after terminating his contract with the Catalans.

How many trophies has Cristiano Ronaldo won with Al-Nassr so far?

Cristiano Ronaldo moved to Al-Nassr in December 2022, after parting ways with Manchester United. The Portuguese superstar's arrival in Saudi Arabia caused a stir across the world, and multiple big names have since followed in his footsteps.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner has been a revelation for the Riyadh-based club so far, registering 93 goals and setting up 20 more from 106 games in all competitions. However, the 40-year-old is yet to win the Saudi Pro League.

Cristiano Ronaldo's only silverware with Al-Nassr is the Arab Club Champions Cup, which he won in 2023. Interestingly, the Portuguese superstar has every right to feel optimistic this season following an eventful summer.

The Riyadh-based club have managed a coup by convincing Joao Felix to agree to join them. The Saudi club reportedly paid Chelsea £43.7m for the 25-year-old this summer. With Sadio Mane also in his kitty, Jorge Jesus now has a fearsome attack at his disposal and will have his eyes on the Saudi Super Cup next.

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Edited by Deepungsu Pandit