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Cristiano Ronaldo Frustrated As Al-Hilal Beat Al Nassr to Win Riyadh Season Cup

Cristiano Ronaldo made his first appearance of 2024 but was left frustrated as his Al Nassr team lost 2-0 to Al-Hilal, who won the Riyadh Season Cup.

Robert Summerscales

Cristiano Ronaldo Frustrated As Al-Hilal Beat Al Nassr to Win Riyadh Season Cup
Cristiano Ronaldo Frustrated As Al-Hilal Beat Al Nassr to Win Riyadh Season Cup /

Cristiano Ronaldo made his first appearance of 2024 but was unable to prevent Al Nassr from losing 2-0 to Al-Hilal on Thursday.

Sergej Milinkovic-Savic scored the opening goal before a brilliant lobbed finish by Salem Aldawsari doubled Al-Hilal's lead in the 30th minute.

Al-Hilal came close to extending their advantage further on multiple occasions and had two goals disallowed for offside.

Ronaldo - who played the full 90 minutes - almost gifted Al-Hilal a goal midway through the first half when he gave the ball away with a no-look back-heeled pass. 

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At the other end, Ronaldo recorded four shots but only one forced keeper Yassine Bounou into action.

The former Real Madrid and Manchester United forward - playing just 72 hours after celebrating his 39th birthday - was caught offside three times.

A frustrated Ronaldo was shown a yellow card in the 53rd minute for kicking the ball away in anger after a free-kick had been awarded to Al-Hilal.

Thursday's contest was the third and final game of the 2024 Riyadh Season Cup.

The mini-series had begun on January 29 when Al-Hilal beat Lionel Messi's Inter Miami 4-3.

An Al Nassr side without Ronaldo then thrashed Miami 6-0 three days later.

But Thursday's defeat saw Al Nassr finish second in the round robin format behind Al-Hilal, who were rewarded with a shiny trophy, which had bizarrely been delivered before the game by WWE legend The Undertaker.

Al-Hilal are also well placed to win the Saudi Pro League ahead of Al Nassr.

After 19 rounds of fixtures, Al-Hilal top the table with 53 points, while Al Nassr sit second on 46.

Highlights: Al-Hilal 2-0 Al Nassr

Al Nassr captain Cristiano Ronaldo pictured in July 2023 during a pre-season friendly against Inter Milan
Cristiano Ronaldo played the full 90 minutes for Al Nassr but his team fell to a 2-0 defeat by Al-Hilal on Thursday in the final game of the 2024 Riyadh Season Cup :: IMAGO/AFLOSPORT
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Robert Summerscales
ROBERT SUMMERSCALES

Robert Summerscales launched FanNation Futbol in February 2022. Rob is a British journalist who previously spent two years on the sports desk at the Daily Mail in London, having earlier served as editor of CaughtOffside.com. He has been to the last two FIFA Men's World Cups, in Russia and Qatar, and is looking forward to completing his hat-trick in North America in 2026.