WHAT HAPPENED?
Ronaldo has faced a lot of criticism for his struggles with free-kicks, with every missed attempt giving his critics more to talk about. But during the match against Al Feiha, he decided to switch things up, and it worked out perfectly. Just before the end of the first half, Ronaldo and his teammate Alex Telles stood over a free kick near the opponent’s penalty area. What came next was a stunning moment that left Al Feiha’s defense and their goalkeeper, Abdulraouf Al-Duqayl, completely shocked.
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Instead of his usual routine of stepping back and powering the ball with his right foot, Ronaldo chose a different method. He walked calmly toward the ball and, instead of blasting it, gently lifted it over the defensive wall. The ball sailed past the surprised goalkeeper and into the net, giving Ronaldo his 64th career free-kick goal.
WATCH THE CLIP
@Cristiano with another free-kick goal in the #RoshnSaudiLeague! pic.twitter.com/QKnA42A4vv
— Roshn Saudi League (@SPL_EN) August 27, 2024
DID YOU KNOW?
Ronaldo’s recent free-kick goal adds fuel to the ongoing debate about who is better at set-pieces, him or Lionel Messi. This goal was Ronaldo’s 53rd from a free-kick in club football, just one less than Messi’s total. Both legends have also scored 11 free-kick goals for their national teams, which shows how intense their rivalry is.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR RONALDO?
After his impressive performance for Al-Nassr, Ronaldo is now heading to Lisbon to join the Portugal national team for the upcoming international break. Portugal will play against Croatia and Scotland in the UEFA Nations League, and Ronaldo is expected to play a key role in both games.
