"His ego is finishing this team", "Retire bro please" - Fans slam Cristiano Ronaldo for performance in Al-Nassr's loss to 10-man Al-Ittihad

Al-Nassr fans have hit out at captain Cristiano Ronaldo over his performance in their 2-1 defeat to rivals Al-Ittihad. The Knights of Najd lost to the reigning King's Cup champions in their Round of 16 clash, tasting defeat for the first time this season.

Cristiano Ronaldo was named in the starting XI for Al-Nassr as they lined up to face Al-Ittihad for a place in the quarterfinals of the King's Cup. The 40-year-old had been rested for the previous round against Jeddah, with his side running out as 4-0 winners away from home.

Ronaldo did not cover himself in glory with his performance against Al-Ittihad, who finished the game with ten players following a red card early in the second half. His performance did not go unnoticed by the fans, many of whom were critical of the veteran forward via posts on X.

A fan insulted the experienced star, pointing to a last minute free-kick attempt as an example of his ego holding back the team.

Another fan advised the 40-year-old to consider hanging up his boots to save himself from such performances.

A fan accused the former Real Madrid man of going missing when his team needed him the most.

A fan stated that the forward is finished and should end his career.

Another fan expressed a lack of surprise at Ronaldo's disappointing performance.

Cristiano Ronaldo was on the pitch for the entirety of the game in front of his club's fans at the Al-Awwal Park. The Portugal international attempted five shots in the encounter but hit the target only once. He created one chance and won two of four ground duels in the game as Al-Nassr saw their ten-game winning run come to an end.

Cristiano Ronaldo, Al-Nassr bow to 10-man Al-Ittihad in King's Cup

Cristiano Ronaldo and his Al-Nassr teammates suffered a narrow 2-1 defeat at home to rivals Al-Ittihad in the King's Cup. The Knights of Najd tasted defeat under Jorge Jesus for the first time this season as they crashed out of the domestic cup competition.

Al-Ittihad captain Karim Benzema opened the scoring for his side in the 15th minute, shooting into the bottom corner following a quick counter. His side were pegged back when Al-Nassr scored from a counter of their own through Angelo Gabriel in the 30th minute of the encounter.

Midfielder Houssem Aouar restored the lead for the reigning champions in first half added time as they went into the break with a lead. They were soon reduced to ten men when Ahmed Al-Julaydan was shown a red card four minutes into the second half. They held on to their lead to win, exacting revenge for their defeat to Al-Nassr in the league in September.

Edited by Sulayman Salahudeen