After Cristiano Ronaldo receives last-minute penalty for Al-Nassr, SPL rivals Ruben Neves, Riyad Mahrez, and Merih Demiral react hilariously

Saudi Pro League footballers Ruben Neves, Riyad Mahrez, and Merih Demiral have reacted on social media after Cristiano Ronaldo was awarded a controversial, last-minute penalty. Ronaldo made no mistake from the spot in the 15th minute of stoppage time to seal a 2-1 comeback win over Al-Fayha in their SPL clash at Al-Awwal Park on Saturday, November 1.

Al-Fayha got off to a strong start, breaking the deadlock in the 13th minute after Jason brilliantly clipped the ball over a helpless Nawaf Al-Aqidi. However, Cristiano Ronaldo finished well from close range in the 37th minute to level the scores.

Al-Nassr pushed for a winner in the second half but appeared to be on the verge of dropping points, with the game going into stoppage time. Fortunately for the hosts, Mikel Villanueva conceded a penalty in the eighth minute after the referee harshly deemed him to have fouled Abdulelah Al Amri. Ronaldo then accurately dispatched his penalty to secure three important points.

Portugal international and Al-Hilal midfielder Ruben Neves, as well as the Al-Ahli duo of Riyad Mahrez and Merih Demiral, were left dumbfounded by the penalty decision. They all reacted with laughing emojis on Instagram, Snapchat, and X, respectively (via @TouchlineX):

"𝗡𝗘𝗪: Merih Demiral, Ruben Neves and Riyad Mahrez were all laughing on Social Media after Cristiano Ronaldo received a last minute penalty call."

Following their win over Al-Fayha, Al-Nassr remain flawless in the league, sitting at the summit with 21 points from seven games. Al-Hilal are third with 17 points, while Al-Ahli are fifth with 13 points.

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"What I want is to win the league" - Cristiano Ronaldo delivers bold verdict after scoring brace in Al-Nassr's win over Al-Fayha

Al-Nassr superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has admitted that his primary objective is to win the Saudi Pro League title this season. His comments arrived after he was named the Player of the Match, following his excellent brace during their 2-1 win over Al-Fayha.

Following the game, Ronaldo said (via @TheNassrZone):

“Well it’s always good to score goals, I’m very happy to help the team to win but for me the most important it’s we won, we are a team so it doesn’t matter about individual awards, what I want is to win the league."

He added:

“We need to continue, it’s good always win, we are at the top of the classification but we need to carry on, the season is long, we have to go step by step but we’re in a good moment in the league”

Cristiano Ronaldo has been in fine form for Al-Nassr this season, recording nine goals and two assists in 10 appearances across all competitions. The Knights of Najd will next face FC Goa in the AFC Champions League Two on November 5.

Edited by Silas Sud