More than 27,000 people were on their feet in Mecca, shouting “Siuuu!” at the top of their voices, as Cristiano Ronaldo celebrated his fourth goal of the game in trademark fashion. Al-Nassr were 4-0 up at relegation battlers Al-Wehda, but the home side’s fans didn’t seem all that bothered that they were on the receiving end of a tonking. CR7 was the unquestionable star.
In their previous home match at the King Abdulaziz Sports City Stadium a fortnight earlier, Al-Wehda had lost 2-0 to Al-Fateh in front of a crowd of only 2,455. The holy city welcomes around a million visitors each year for Islam’s famous Hajj pilgrimage, but this time people had come to worship Ronaldo.
In bagging the 61st hat-trick of his career to put Al-Nassr in total control – plundering his 500th league goal along the way – the 38-year-old showed surprising pace to charge clear, fire home a rebound, seal a 4-0 victory, then depart with the matchball. Even in the twilight of his career, Ronaldo remains box office wherever he goes.
HRISTO AND HIGUITA
Saudi Arabia has been known to spring the odd footballing surprise over the years. At the country’s first-ever World Cup finals in 1994, Saeed Al-Owairan slalomed through Belgium’s defence to score an iconic goal and secure a shock passage to the second round. Twenty-eight years later in Qatar, the Green Falcons stunned the globe as Salem Al-Dawsari’s superb curling effort sealed a comeback victory over Lionel Messi and eventual champions Argentina in one of the group stage’s most memorable moments.
Yet the December 30, 2022 announcement that Ronaldo had signed for Al-Nassr topped the lot. Supporters were pinching themselves as Saudi marketing executives rubbed their hands together in glee – so, in truth, did Erik ten Hag following CR7’s Manchester United defenestration. One
