Al-Hilal emerged victorious with a commanding 3-0 victory against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr in a heated Riyadh Derby at the King Fahd International Stadium.
The match, marked by lively chants of “Messi, Messi, Messi!” from the jubilant Al-Hilal fans, showcased the dominance of the Saudi Pro League team over their bitter rivals. Despite finishing on the losing side, Ronaldo, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner, remained the centre of attention. Aleksandar Mitrovic’s brace, accompanied by Sergej Milinkovic-Savic’s goal, secured Al-Hilal’s triumph.
The Riyadh Derby, the last game at the King Fahd International Stadium before its renovation for the 2027 Asian Cup and anticipated 2034 World Cup, drew thousands of fans. Ronaldo, the focus of attention, faced taunts from opposition supporters but continued to captivate the audience, even among rival fans.
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In the league season’s previous 14 games, Ronaldo had netted an impressive 15 goals, propelling Al-Nassr to the second position in the league. The Portuguese star’s teammates, including Sadio Mane, Marcelo Brozovic, and Alex Telles, have further strengthened the squad.
Ronaldo’s day was further soured with news from the U.S. that he has been hit with a class-action lawsuit seeking at least $1 billion in damages for his role in promoting cryptocurrency-related “non-fungible tokens,” or NFTs, issued by the beleaguered cryptocurrency exchange Binance.