Cristiano Ronaldo requested more time on the pitch to try and salvage a win for Al-Nassr in their match against Benfica. The Saudi team suffered a 4-1 defeat in a club friendly held at Estadio Algarve near Faro, Portugal, against the Portuguese champions. Ronaldo, who was supposed to be substituted at the 66th minute mark when Al-Nassr were trailing 3-1, signaled to the new manager, Luis Castro, asking for an additional five minutes to turn the game around, as Benfica is the rival team of Ronaldo’s childhood club, Sporting Lisbon.
The request was captured on video and posted on Twitter by ESPN FC, showcasing Ronaldo motioning to Castro. Earlier in the summer, Al-Nassr had played a series of friendly matches in Europe, including a 5-0 loss to Spanish side Celta Vigo. Next, the Saudi team will travel to France to face Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain on July 25.
Ronaldo made headlines in December 2022 when he became the first major European football player to sign with a Saudi Pro League team, Al-Nassr, on a two-year contract. Following his move, Saudi clubs have made efforts to attract other world-class players with lucrative offers. The country aims to elevate its domestic league to a top 10 position globally by the end of the decade. Notably, players like Karim Benzema and N’Golo Kante have joined Ronaldo in making the transfer to the Gulf kingdom.
