The brief incident quickly went viral, offering a lighter moment during a match that otherwise ended badly for Ronaldo and his team. Cristiano Ronaldo produced one of the most entertaining moments of Al-Nassr’s frustrating defeat to Al-Ittihad last weekend, when the Portugal captain found himself involved in an unexpected exchange with former teammate Danilo Pereira. The brief incident quickly went viral, offering a lighter moment during a match that otherwise ended badly for Ronaldo and his team. The two Portugal internationals have shared countless moments together over the years, including their country’s historic Euro 2016 triumph. Their familiarity was obvious as Ronaldo approached Danilo during the match, with cameras catching the pair exchanging smiles after an unusual moment involving the Al-Ittihad defender. The incident happened during Al-Nassr’s 2-1 defeat to Al-Ittihad on September 5, a result that ended the defending champions’ perfect start to the Saudi Pro League season. While the match was fiercely contested, Ronaldo briefly turned his attention away from the action when he noticed Danilo holding a tactical note. Danilo had received instructions from Al-Ittihad’s coaching staff and was looking at the piece of paper when Ronaldo moved behind him. The Al-Nassr captain leaned over in an apparent attempt to see what was written, creating an amusing scene that was quickly picked up by television cameras. 🚨 Cristiano Ronaldo reading Danilo Pereira's coaching instructions during the game. 😂pic.twitter.com/7JUdEKOsgs— 𝐓𝐌 𝐅Ú𝐓𝐁𝐎𝐋 (@TMfutbal) September 5, 2026 Danilo eventually noticed Ronaldo standing behind him, and rather than reacting angrily, the former teammates appeared to laugh about the situation. The moment was soon shared widely online, with Al-Ittihad even joining in with the banter. “Cheating and still losing!”, Al-Ittihad took to X (formerly Twitter) to write. Cheating and still losing! 🔥🤷🏻♂️#Alittihad_Alnassr pic.twitter.com/58nU2o0EhG— Al-Ittihad Club (@ittihad_en) September 5, 2026 Danilo finally reveals what Ronaldo asked Almost a week after the match, Danilo finally explained what happened between the two players. Speaking after Al-Ittihad’s victory over Al-Fayha, the defender confirmed that Ronaldo had indeed managed to see the tactical instructions on the paper. But the funniest detail was what Ronaldo actually said to him. “Yes, it’s true… Cristiano asked me, ‘Are you going to play like this?’, he told reporters, via Al-Riyadiah. Danilo explained that he had not initially realized Ronaldo was standing behind him. "What happened between you and Cristiano?Everyone's talking about that moment… Do you think he read what was written on that piece of paper?"🇵🇹🗣 Danilo Pereira (Al Ittihad defender):"Yes, it's true… Cristiano asked me, 'Are you going to play like this?'I didn't know…— The Nassr Tribune™️ (@AlNassrTribune) September 11, 2026 Once he heard the Portuguese star speaking, however, the situation became clear: “I didn’t know he was behind me, and then I heard him talking behind my back, asking me, ‘Are you going to play like this?’ My answer was, ‘Yes, yes… we’ll play like this.’” Ronaldo’s competitive instincts were on display The exchange was funny, but it also offered a glimpse of Ronaldo’s mentality. Even during a heated league match, the 41-year-old was looking for any piece of information that could give Al-Nassr an advantage, although this particular attempt clearly became more entertaining than useful. Danilo later played down the incident, insisting that there were no hard feelings between the pair. When asked whether Ronaldo had actually read what was on the paper, he confirmed that he had, before making clear that it contained tactical information rather than anything particularly sensitive. “He was behind me and he did indeed read what was written on the paper, but there is no problem, it was only about tactics.” Cristiano Ronaldo and Danilo Pereira of Portugal The relaxed reaction ref
Mateus Mane continues to be linked with a move away from Wolves, and top clubs are keeping tabs on him. Liverpool and Manchester United are reportedly long-term admirers of the player, and they have made direct contact with the player’s representatives and Wolves regarding a potential move, as per Football 360. Mateus Mane attracts Premier […] The post Liverpool and Manchester United make direct contact over £50m-rated teenager appeared first on CaughtOffside.
After the 2-1 win against Al Nassr in the 26-27 Saudi Pro League, Al Ittihad sent a sharp message to star Cristiano Ronaldo: "Cheating and still losing." Cristiano Ronaldo suffered his first setback of the 2026-27 campaign as Al Ittihad asserted their dominance on Matchday 4 of the Saudi Pro League. Following the final whistle, the victorious hosts seized the moment to fire a pointed message at the Al Nassr star on social media: “Cheating and still losing.“ Playing at Alinma Stadium, Al Ittihad surged to a fast start behind George Ilenikhena, who struck twice in the opening 22 minutes to build an early 2-0 cushion. Angelo managed to cut into the deficit in the 36th minute, but with a disciplined home defense sitting deep, Al Nassr were unable to break through for an equalizer in the second half. For Ronaldo, the fixture marked his third start of the 2026-27 season and his first full 90-minute appearance after appearing as a late substitute in the previous two matches. However, the Portuguese icon struggled to influence proceedings, managing just two shots on target across 16 total touches as Al Ittihad restricted his impact. One of the match’s lighter moments occurred when Al Ittihad captain Danilo Pereira received tactical instructions written on a slip of paper from manager Jens Wissing. Ronaldo approached his former international teammate to sneak a glance at the note, prompting Pereira to laugh and jokingly hold the paper out to the Al Nassr captain in a friendly exchange. كريستيانو رونالدو يحاول قراءة ورقة التوجيهات الخاصة بمدرب الاتحاد 🔥🎥#الاتحاد_النصر | #دوري_روشن_السعودي pic.twitter.com/5x5rZYxsdQ— رياضة ثمانية (@thmanyahsports) September 5, 2026 However, after securing the 2-1 victory to preserve their unbeaten start to the season, Al Ittihad took a direct shot at Al Nassr and their marquee superstar online. “Cheating and still losing,” posted Al Ittihad’s official English X account, producing a viral response that generated millions of impressions across soccer fanbases. Cheating and still losing! 🔥🤷🏻♂️#Alittihad_Alnassr pic.twitter.com/58nU2o0EhG— Al-Ittihad Club (@ittihad_en) September 5, 2026 Tough day in the office for Al Nassr The early two-goal cushion allowed Al Ittihad to concede possession and protect their lead behind a compact defensive block. In the second half, Al Nassr held 62 percent of the ball and earned 11 corner kicks, but despite firing 13 total shots, Ronaldo’s side failed to unlock the equalizer. When asked about the team’s fight in his post-match press conference, head coach Ange Postecoglou stood firm: “I think it depends on how you evaluate the match. From what I saw, after the opening 15 minutes, there was only one team creating clear opportunities, and that was us. If you want to discuss character, this group proved last year and continues to demonstrate this season that they possess tremendous character.“ The mounting frustration was equally apparent in forward Joao Felix, who will be suspended for Al Nassr’s upcoming SPL fixture against Abha on Wednesday. Visibly incensed by officiating decisions during the match, the Portuguese international bypassed reporters in the mixed zone with a brief parting comment. “I won’t speak to you, because if I do, I’ll expose this league,” Felix stated as he was heading to the team bus.
he big question heading into the match is Cristiano Ronaldo's availability and his place in Postecoglou's plans. Cristiano Ronaldo is set for another major Saudi Pro League test as Al-Nassr travels to face Al-Ittihad in a heavyweight clash on Saturday. The defending champion has made a perfect start to the new campaign, while Al-Ittihad enters the meeting unbeaten, creating plenty of intrigue around who will be trusted from the opening whistle. The fixture brings together two of Saudi Arabia’s biggest clubs at the Alinma Stadium in Jeddah. With Al-Nassr sitting near the top after four wins and Al-Ittihad looking to disrupt that momentum, the latest team news could have a major impact on the contest. Al-Nassr has won all four of its Saudi Pro League matches this season, scoring 12 goals and conceding only three. Ange Postecoglou’s side opened with a 3-0 victory over Al-Fateh, followed it with a 4-0 win against Al-Riyadh, and then showed its resilience by coming from two goals behind to defeat Al-Ettifaq 3-2. On the other hand, Al-Ittihad has collected eight points from its opening four games, remaining unbeaten despite dropping points in two matches. The team began with a draw against Al-Kholood, defeated Al-Qadsiah and Al-Hazem, then drew with Al-Fateh. DateCompetitionMatchResultAug 28, 2026Saudi Pro LeagueAl-Nassr vs. Al-Taawoun2 – 1 WinAug 25, 2026Saudi Pro LeagueAl-Ettifaq vs. Al-Nassr3 – 2 WinAug 21, 2026Saudi Pro LeagueAl-Riyadh vs. Al-Nassr4 – 0 WinAug 15, 2026Saudi Pro LeagueAl-Nassr vs. Al-Fateh3 – 0 Win Jens Wissing’s side has been more impressive defensively than in front of goal. Al-Ittihad has scored only five times, despite creating 16 big chances, and has missed 13 of those opportunities. DateCompetitionMatchResultAug 29, 2026Saudi Pro LeagueAl-Fateh vs. Al-Ittihad0 – 0 DrawAug 24, 2026Saudi Pro LeagueAl-Ittihad vs. Al-Hazem3 – 2 WinAug 21, 2026Saudi Pro LeagueAl-Qadsiah vs. Al-Ittihad1 – 0 WinAug 15, 2026Saudi Pro LeagueAl-Ittihad vs. Al-Kholood1 – 1 Draw Is Cristiano Ronaldo playing today? The big question heading into the match is Cristiano Ronaldo’s availability and his place in Postecoglou’s plans. Ronaldo has been confirmed to start for Al-Nassr, with the Portuguese superstar leading the attack alongside Joao Felix. Ronaldo has already scored twice in the team’s first four league matches. His first goal came as a substitute against Al-Riyadh on August 21, while his second was particularly significant, with his 978th career goal proving decisive in the 2-1 victory over Al-Taawoun on August 28. His record against Al-Ittihad also makes him a player the hosts will have to watch closely. The 41-year-old superstar has scored six goals in his last six appearances against Al-Ittihad, including four in his last three away appearances in the fixture. Cristiano Ronaldo of Al Nassr. Al-Ittihad vs Al-Nassr: Confirmed lineups Al-Ittihad confirmed XI (4-4-2): Rajkovic; Danilo, Kadesh, Faris, Al-Julaydan; Lopy, Mukhtar, Aouar, Ahmed; Bergwijn, Ilenikhena. Al-Nassr confirmed XI (4-3-3): Al-Aqidi; Alnajdi, Al-Amri, Simakan, Boushal; Costa, Angelo, Felix; Coman; Mane, Ronaldo.
Tap a headline to view metadata and excerpt fields in Sportra, then use the article website button to continue on the original publisher page.
