Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr will face fellow Saudi Pro League side Al-Fayha in the last 16 of the Asian Champions League with four-times winners Al-Hilal due to take on Iran's Sepahan when the continental club championship returns in February.
Cristiano Ronaldo celebrated his 1,200th professional match with a goal and an assist as he helped his Saudi League side Al-Nassr to get a 4-1 win over Al-Riyadh on Friday.
Cristiano Ronaldo found the back of the net to help Portugal beat Liechtenstein 2-0 in Group J clash on Thursday as the 38-year-old tied Belgium's Romelu Lukaku as the Euro 2024 qualifying campaign's top scorer.
The Egyptian side needs to win the game to continue their journey in the competition but they know that it will not be an easy mission against one of the top contenders for the title.
"We have very good teams, very good Arab players, but the infrastructure - they need to improve a little bit more. Even the referees, the VAR system, should be a little quicker," he said in an SPL interview. "But I'm happy here, I want to continue here, I will continue here."
Ittihad are still in the driver's seat on 59 points, three ahead of Al Nassr, with five games left to play. Ittihad also have the upper hand in the head-to-head record between the sides this season.
With five matches remaining this season, Al-Nassr remain second in the league, three points behind leaders Al-Ittihad having played a game more than their rivals.
Ronaldo celebrated his 197th cap, surpassing Kuwait's Bader Al-Mutawa, with a double as he returned to the starting line-up for their Group J qualifier at the Jose Alvalade Stadium.
"I am sure that in the coming years the league will be ... the fourth, fifth or sixth most competitive league in the world," added Ronaldo, who moved to Al-Nassr on a two-and-a-half-year contract worth a reported 200 million euros ($214.71 million).
Ronaldo, 38, is included in the squad after former Portugal coach Fernando Santos started with him on the bench for the country's last two games at the World Cup in Qatar, where they were knocked out by Morocco in the quarter-finals.
The defeat marked the second match in row in which the 38-year-old Ronaldo failed to find the net, with Al-Ittihad goalkeeper Marcelo Grohe parrying away a fierce shot from the Portugal superstar in injury time.
Saeed, wreathed in smiles, met the Portuguese forward briefly before the match, giving him a high-five and a big hug.
Al Nassr now top the standings after 15 games, level on 34 points with second-placed Al Shabab but with a match in hand.
Ronaldo departed Old Trafford last month following an explosive television interview in which the 37-year-old forward said he felt betrayed by the club and did not respect their Dutch manager Erik ten Hag.
It is indisputable that Ronaldo is one of the greatest forwards of all time but his latest struggles with Manchester United and Portugal have raised many questions about whether his brilliant career is nearing a bitter end.
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag said Cristiano Ronaldo's goal in Thursday's 3-0 Europa League win over Sheriff Tiraspol was a fitting prize for his perseverance after the Portuguese forward returned to the team following disciplinary issues.
Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo scored on his return to the starting lineup as they sealed a place in the Europa League knockout rounds with a 3-0 victory over Sheriff Tiraspol at Old Trafford on Thursday.
Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo will not be in their squad for Saturday's Premier League game at Chelsea
Former Manchester United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel says he was disappointed by Cristiano Ronaldo's behaviour during the club's 2-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday and says the Portuguese has become a distraction at Old Trafford.
Seven times reigning winner Lionel Messi was not nominated for this year's Ballon d'Or for the first time since 2005.
