Cristiano Ronaldo reacts on social media as Al-Nassr get knocked out of Kings Cup after loss against 10-man Al-Ittihad

Cristiano Ronaldo has sent a message to Al-Nassr teammates after the Saudi Pro League side were knocked out of the King Cup of Champions by Al-Ittihad on Tuesday, October 28. The Portuguese superstar wants the team to learn from the loss and use it in their season ahead.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Ronaldo posted an eight-word message to his teammates, along with a team photo, in which he was giving a speech ahead of the game. He urged them to stand tall despite the defeat and posted:

"We stand tall, learn, and move forward together."

Al-Nassr failed to beat Al-Ittihad, who played the majority of the second half with 10 men, in the King Cup of Champions. Karim Benzema gave his side the lead before former Chelsea winger Angelo Gabriel equalized for Cristiano Ronaldo's side, but Houssem Aouar restored the lead deep into injury time of the first half.

Al-Ittihad suffered an early blow in the second half when right-back Ahmed Al-Julaydan was sent off just four minutes after the restart. However, they held on to the scoreline and qualified for the next round.

Cristiano Ronaldo's search for a major silverware at Al-Nassr took another hit on October 29 after the elimination. They are doing well in the Saudi Pro League this season, and are three points clear of second-placed Al-Taawoun, having won all six of their matches so far.

Al-Nassr captain Cristiano Ronaldo still hungry for more

Al-Nassr captain Cristiano Ronaldo spoke to the media earlier this season and said his passion for football is not fading. He is still hungry to deliver for club and country, and is not listening to his family, who want him to stop after scoring 1000 goals.

He said (via SI):

“I still have a passion for [playing football]. My family says it’s time to stop and they ask me why I want to score 1,000 goals when I’ve already scored 900 or so. But deep down, I don’t think so. I’m still producing good things, I’m helping my club and the national team. hy not keep going? I’m sure that when it’s over, I’ll leave feeling fulfilled because I gave it my all. It’s about enjoying the moment. I know I don’t have many more years to play, but the little I have, or the little I have, I have to make the most of." “I’ll be honest… I don’t see it as an obsession. If you’d asked me 20 years ago, I might have answered differently, like I wanted to eat the world, but now I don’t see things that way. Age also allows us to think differently. I have a philosophy of living day by day. In everyday life, things change in a moment. You can’t make long-term plans. Right now, I make short-term plans because it gives me more energy that way, more of a desire to live. I enjoy each day, training session by training session and competition by competition. Then, down the road, we’ll see.”

Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 950 goals in his career. He has a contract with Al-Nassr until 2027 and is leading Portugal's charge for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Edited by Sripad