Al-Nassr boss Jorge Jesus provides honest response when asked about not resting or subbing out Cristiano Ronaldo in games

Al-Nassr coach Jorge Jesus has provided an explanation as to the reason why Cristiano Ronaldo always plays for 90 minutes at his age. The 40-year-old was instrumental for the Knights of Najd as they picked up their seventh successive league win to open up a three-point lead atop the standings.

Former Al-Hilal boss Jesus spoke to reporters after his side downed Al-Feiha 2-1 in front of their fans at their Al-Awwal Park home on Saturday. There, he responded to a question on why he chooses not to substitute his captain even in the second half of games, explaining that his reserve option is not at his level.

“He is a great player and knows his body well, when to rest and when to ask for a substitution. I’m thinking of resting him in Asian competitions, but in some matches, you can’t rest him because he’s Ronaldo and Camara cannot replace him. Sometimes we sacrifice having him at a slightly lower level, but his presence is important", he said (via @TheNassrZone on X).

Cristiano Ronaldo completed his third 90 minutes in the space of seven days as his side flashed with Al-Feiha in the league. The Portugal international scored the winner in the 15th minute of second half stoppage time following a keenly-contested encounter.

Ronaldo has mostly played in the league this season, playing 629 of 630 available minutes for his side. He has, however, yet to make a single appearance on the continent in the AFC Champions League Two, with Jesus keen to protect him from travels outside of Saudi Arabia.

Cristiano Ronaldo nets brace to lead Al-Nassr to victory

Cristiano Ronaldo was at the double for Al-Nassr as they claimed a hard-fought 2-1 win over Al-Feiha in their Saudi Pro League encounter. The Portuguese great took his league tally for the season to eight goals in only seven games after another impressive showing in front of goal.

Fresh from crashing out of the King's Cup at the hands of Al-Ittihad, Al-Nassr sought a quick response as they locked horns with Al-Feiha. They were stunned just 13 minutes into the game when Spaniard Jason opened the scoring with his second goal of the 2025-26 season.

The league leaders rallied and managed to level the tie in the 37th minute, with Kingsley Coman setting up his captain for his seventh league goal from close range. They then completed the comeback in the most dramatic of fashions, as Abdulelah Al-Amri was deemed to have been fouled in the penalty box deep into stoppage time. Cristiano Ronaldo stepped up to score and hand Al-Nassr the win, opening up a three-point lead over Al-Taawoun.

Edited by Sulayman Salahudeen