Cristiano Ronaldo delighted fans at the Al Nahyan Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, scoring and performing his signature "SIUUU" celebration during Al Nassr's 4-2 friendly victory over Al Wahda. The Portuguese star, who started the match despite the non-competitive nature of the fixture, opened the scoring in the 12th minute.
Following a clever corner routine involving Kingsley Coman, Ronaldo drilled a sharp right-footed strike into the near bottom corner. While the crowd erupted for the goal, manager Jorge Jesus opted to manage the 39-year-old’s workload, substituting him at halftime ahead of the league's resumption later this month.
The first half remained a high-intensity affair even without the competitive stakes. After Ronaldo’s opener, Al Wahda responded quickly through Facundo Kruspzky in the 20th minute to level the score. However, Al Nassr reclaimed the lead just ten minutes later when French winger Kingsley Coman cut inside and fired a powerful shot into the top right corner.
The hosts fought back again just before the break, with former Ajax captain Dušan Tadić converting a penalty after a foul by Mohamed Simakan, sending the teams into the tunnel locked at 2-2.
Al Nassr asserted their dominance in the second half, proving they could maintain their momentum without their captain. Ten minutes after the restart, Haroune Camara restored the visitors' advantage following a scramble from a corner kick. The Saudi side then put the game out of reach when Saad Fahad Al Nasser buried a rebound to make it 4-2.
Although Al Wahda introduced fresh legs in an attempt to salvage the game, the tempo dropped in the closing stages, allowing Al Nassr to close out a comfortable win during their mid-season training camp.
While Ronaldo’s strike was the highlight of the night, it will not count toward his official chase for 1,000 career goals given the match's friendly status. He currently sits at 954 official goals, 46 shy of the milestone, with his last competitive goal coming via a stunning bicycle kick against Al Khaleej in late November.
He remains prolific in the Saudi Pro League this season, tallying 10 goals so far, just one behind his teammate Joao Felix. This break in play is due to the ongoing FIFA Arab Cup, with the domestic league set to resume action around December 19.
The match served as a vital tune-up for Jorge Jesus' squad as they prepare for a busy winter schedule. For the thousands in attendance, however, the technical result was secondary to the spectacle. As reports from the ground noted, the evening was "built around Ronaldo’s presence," and he delivered exactly what the audience demanded.
