After suffering its first league defeat of the season, Al-Nassr needed an immediate response, and Ronaldo made sure the squad understood what he expected from the opening moments. Cristiano Ronaldo had a clear message for his Al-Nassr teammates before they stepped onto the pitch against Abha, but the Portuguese superstar’s words revealed much more than his desire to win another Saudi Pro League game. After suffering its first league defeat of the season, Al-Nassr needed an immediate response, and Ronaldo made sure the squad understood what he expected from the opening moments. The 41-year-old would go on to play a decisive role himself, scoring the opening goal in a 2-1 victory at Al-Awwal Park. Yet before the match even began, Ronaldo had already attempted to set the tone inside the dressing room with a speech that reflected the mentality that has defined his career. Al-Nassr entered the Abha match looking to recover from a 2-1 defeat against Al-Ittihad, the club’s first loss of the 2026-27 Saudi Pro League campaign. The setback had come in the fifth round and provided the defending champions with their first real setback of the new season. Rather than allowing the result to linger, Ronaldo urged his teammates to draw a line under it. His message focused heavily on the opening stages of the Abha game and the importance of establishing control immediately. Cristiano Ronaldo of Al Nassr. “Let me tell you something, the last match is over, and it has become the past”, he said. The forward then made his expectations even clearer, calling on the team to attack the match with maximum intensity. For Ronaldo, the response had to begin from the first whistle rather than develop gradually as the game progressed. Ronaldo reveals exactly what he wanted from Al-Nassr Ronaldo’s pre-match speech centered on one simple demand: Al-Nassr had to start with overwhelming strength and make Abha believe that winning was almost impossible. “Today, in the first twenty minutes, we have to go in with all our strength, make them believe that winning today is impossible. The first twenty minutes will be decisive, lads; let’s start with great strength today, let’s go”, Ronaldo ended passionately. 🚨🐐 Cristiano Ronaldo Delivered This Passionate Pre-Match Speech To The Al-Nassr Squad Before Their Game Against Abha."The Last Match Is Over And Has Become The Past. Today, In The First Twenty Minutes, We Have To Go In With Full Strength. Make Them Believe That Winning Today…— The Nassr Tribune™️ (@AlNassrTribune) September 10, 2026 The 41-year-old stressed the same principles, telling his teammates to play with maximum focus from the beginning and impose their style immediately. The message was direct, aggressive and unmistakably Ronaldo. Interestingly, his emphasis on the first 20 minutes almost became prophetic. Ronaldo opened the scoring in the 22nd minute, rising to meet a corner from Ângelo and sending a powerful header toward the far post, with the ball striking the post before crossing the line. Ronaldo then led by example For Ronaldo, the evening was another example of his relentless approach to soccer. He demanded intensity from his teammates before kickoff, then backed up his words by scoring himself, helping Al-Nassr immediately put its first league defeat of the season behind it. His pursuit of 1,000 goals continues to attract most of the headlines, but the Abha match offered another glimpse into why he remains such an influential figure inside the Al-Nassr dressing room. His speech was built around urgency, confidence, and refusing to carry a previous defeat into the next game. At 41, Ronaldo still expects the same standards from himself and those around him. Against Abha, his message was simple: forget the defeat, start aggressively, and make the opponent feel Al-Nassr’s presence immediately.
Cristiano Ronaldo will be without Kingsley Coman and two other teammates for Al Nassr's clash with Al Khaleej, as the club manages its squad ahead of the AFC Champions League Elite opener. Cristiano Ronaldo is set to be without one of his key attacking options once again, as Kingsley Coman will not travel with the Al Nassr squad for Saturday’s Saudi Pro League clash against Al Khaleej. According to The Nassr Tribune, Coman continues his recovery from the hamstring injury he picked up during Al Nassr‘s match against Al Ittihad, when he was forced off in the 60th minute. An MRI scan confirmed the issue as a mild hamstring tear, with the Frenchman advised to take at least a week of rest before being reassessed. Coman won’t be the only absentee for the trip, as Abdulrahman Ghareeb and Ayman Yahya will also stay behind and miss out on the match, further thinning Ronaldo’s supporting cast for the fixture. The good news for Al Nassr is that Coman’s absence is expected to be short-lived, with the club’s medical staff targeting his return in time for the AFC Champions League Elite opener against Al Ain on September 15, a continental debut Ronaldo will be eager to have his full squad available for. Dammam 📍 pic.twitter.com/LlbLJaMnGU— AlNassr FC (@AlNassrFC_EN) September 11, 2026 Logistics are also being managed with that fixture in mind: rather than flying back to Riyadh after facing Al Khaleej in Dammam, the squad will travel directly to the UAE, a decision made by Ange Postecoglou to cut down on fatigue and give his players extra recovery time before kickoff against Al Ain. Postecoglou could rotate his squad against Al Khaleej With Al Nassr eager to start their AFC Champions League Elite campaign on the right foot against Al Ain just three days later, Postecoglou is reportedly expected to manage his squad’s workload against Al Khaleej, limiting minutes for some of his key players, Ronaldo included, to ensure the team arrives at peak fitness for the continental opener. Al Nassr came agonizingly close to continental glory last season, falling 1-0 to Gamba Osaka in the AFC Champions League Two final back in May. With Ronaldo and company now moving up to the more prestigious AFC Champions League Elite, the club is determined to put together a strong campaign in Asia’s top club competition after last season’s heartbreak.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal future remains one of the biggest questions surrounding the national team, with Joao Cancelo offering an intriguing glimpse into the uncertainty surrounding his longtime teammate. The 2026 World Cup may have marked the end of one major chapter for Ronaldo, but whether it was also the conclusion of his international career is a question that still has no definitive answer. Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal future remains one of the biggest questions surrounding the national team, with Joao Cancelo offering an intriguing glimpse into the uncertainty surrounding his longtime teammate. The 2026 World Cup may have marked the end of one major chapter for Ronaldo, but whether it was also the conclusion of his international career is a question that still has no definitive answer. At 41, Ronaldo has already confirmed that the tournament in North America was his final World Cup, while Portugal’s early elimination has only intensified speculation about what comes next. With the Nations League approaching, attention has now turned toward whether the legendary No. 7 will continue wearing the Portugal shirt. The veteran’s international career stretches back more than two decades, beginning with his senior debut against Kazakhstan in August 2003. Since then, he has developed into Portugal’s most famous player and one of the greatest international players in history, collecting records for goals and appearances along the way. He has scored 146 goals in 233 appearances for Portugal, while his international résumé includes the 2016 European Championship and the 2019 UEFA Nations League. However, after the nation’s last 16 defeat to Spain at the 2026 World Cup, the focus has shifted from what Ronaldo has achieved to how much longer he intends to continue. Cristiano Ronaldo #7 of Portugal applauds fans The forward remains under contract with Al-Nassr until the summer of 2027, although his long-term playing future is also becoming increasingly uncertain. Ronaldo has previously indicated that his current club career could be approaching its final stage, making the next few months particularly significant. Joao Cancelo finally addresses Ronaldo’s Portugal future Cancelo was asked directly about Ronaldo’s international future after Barcelona’s Champions League victory over Feyenoord on September 10. Rather than offering a firm prediction, the Portugal defender gave a short response that reflected the uncertainty around the situation. “We hope so, we’ll see,” Cancelo told TNT Sports, giving supporters reason to remain hopeful while making it clear that he does not know whether Ronaldo will continue. The response is particularly significant because Cancelo has repeatedly shown his support for Ronaldo throughout their time together with the national team. His latest comments suggest that even those closest to the veteran forward may still be waiting for the 41-year-old himself to make the final call. Cristiano Ronaldo and Joao Cancelo of Portugal celebrate Could Ronaldo say goodbye to Portugal soon? Portugal’s upcoming Nations League campaign could provide the first real indication of Ronaldo’s plans. New head coach Jorge Jesus, who previously worked with Ronaldo at Al-Nassr, has already made it clear that age alone will not prevent the forward from being selected. “As long as he’s playing and is in a condition to be selected, I will pick him, within certain limits and under the conditions that I consider best for the national team“, he said recently. Jesus has also described Ronaldo as a symbol of Portuguese soccer and insisted that he would never become a problem for the Selecao. That stance leaves the door firmly open, provided the Al-Nassr captain wants to continue. There has also been speculation that Ronaldo could choose a Nations League match in Lisbon as his farewell appearance, with Wales reportedly emerging as a possible opponent. The potential symbolism would be enormous given the five-time Ballon d’Or winner’s connec
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