"I am going to speak at the end of the season because I've seen many, many bad things." That's Cristiano Ronaldo, 41, fresh off a 2-0 win over Al Ahli, and clearly carrying more frustration than the scoreline suggests.
The victory keeps Al Nassr eight points clear of Al Hilal — who have a game in hand — with four matches remaining. A first Saudi Pro League title since 2019, and Ronaldo's first since joining the club in December 2022, is genuinely within reach. Yet he's spending significant energy on a league-wide grievance that's been building all season.
Ronaldo vs. The Saudi Football Culture
The immediate flashpoint was Al Ahli players crying foul over referee decisions after their defeat to Al Nassr earlier this month. Ronaldo didn't just brush it off — he framed it as symptomatic of something uglier. "Many players have complained, doing posts on Instagram, on Facebook, speaking about the referees, speaking about the league, speaking about the project. This is not good."
He's right that it isn't a great look for a league trying to sell itself as a serious football destination. But Ronaldo is hardly a neutral observer here. Al Nassr are the team benefitting from first place, and he has his own unfinished business to air — including the two SPL games he boycotted earlier this year after rivals Al Hilal signed Karim Benzema from Al Ittihad in January.
"It's been a difficult season, not just on the pitch but off it," he admitted. Whatever he's holding back, he's been deliberate about saving it. That kind of patience from Ronaldo is unusual enough to take seriously.
970 Goals and a Title to Chase
He scored the opener on Wednesday — goal number 970 of his career — and looked every bit the player who carried this club when others questioned why he was still here. Al Nassr's title odds have shortened considerably with this eight-point cushion, and Ronaldo's contribution to keeping them there has been central. A league title in Saudi Arabia won't define his legacy, but it closes a chapter he very much wants closed on his terms.
Al Ahli defender Merih Demiral — his old Juventus teammate — tried needling him after the final whistle, pointing out Al Ahli's two Asian Champions League titles. Ronaldo's response was immediate: "Five Champions. I have five!"
Whatever he says at the end of the season, that count isn't changing.
