Cristiano Ronaldo Reports to Al Nassr’s Pre-Season Training After a Disappointing EURO 2024 Experience With Portugal
Cristiano Ronaldo is back with Al Nassr after an extended summer vacation following Portugal’s EURO 2024 exit at the hands of France. Ronaldo, 39, will be expected to play an integral role once again as Al Nassr attempts to unseat the dominant Al Hilal atop the Saudi Pro League charts.
Ronaldo’s showing at the tournament, expected to be his last major one with the national team, was largely underwhelming, with many opining that he caused more problems to the team than he solved. Given his age, the sentiments prior to the tournament were that it was his last chance at another major piece of silverware with the national team before retirement.
Cristiano will now focus on the upcoming 2024-25 season with Al Nassr. Last summer, Ronaldo broke the Saudi Pro League’s all-time scoring record by recording 35 goals. However, Al Nassr could only manage a second-place finish in the league and had no luck in any of the domestic and continental cups.
Al Nassr have been busy, but prudent, in the transfer market as they look to address certain weaknesses, such as their defensive frailty that let them down last season. Both player and club will need to be at their best to ensure the upcoming season doesn’t leave them trophyless as well.
This will be a tall order, with age finally looking like its catching up with Ronaldo with his influence on matches waning, as was witnessed at the Euros. Many observers believed Ronaldo had lost his sharpness, leading him to squander opportunities to score. Additionally, his nature of being at the center of everything led to setpieces and goalscoring chances being left to him.
However, the five-time Ballon d’Or displayed some glimpses of selflessness, such as his assist for Bruno Fernandez’s goal in the 3-0 win against Turkey. He had the opportunity to score by himself but chose to square it for Fernandez to convert. Al Nassr hope that this version of Ronaldo will show up next season and focus on the team’s success rather than individual glory.
