“Team waiting for the king”

Al-Nassr goalkeeper Nawaf Alaqidi has acknowledged Cristiano Ronaldo as ‘the king’ following his side’s 3-1 win over 10-man Al-Raed on Sunday (September 16).

Luis Castro’s men sailed to victory courtesy of goals from Sadio Mane, Anderson Talisca, and of course Ronaldo. The Portuguese icon’s goal took him on to seven goals and five assists in six games across competitions so far this season.

The 38-year-old is loving life in the Saudi Pro League and turning back the years with inspired performances. He is currently top of the goalscoring charts with Al-Nassr sitting sixth in the league.

Alaqidi lauded Cristiano Ronaldo with a post on his Instagram account after the victory over Al-Raed. He posted a picture of the five-time Ballon d’Or winner running towards his teammates, captioning it:

“All the team waiting for the king.”

Ronaldo cemented his legacy as one of the greatest players in European football history prior to heading to Al-Nassr in January. He won five UEFA Champions Leagues and titles in England, Spain, and Italy.

The Portuguese icon is proving that age is just a number and is taking his place atop the throne of Saudi football. He does have new rivals to contend with though with the likes of Neymar (Al-Hilal) and Karim Benzema (Al-Ittihad) joining him in the rising Saudi Pro League.

Cristiano Ronaldo reacts to Al-Nassr’s win over Al-Raed

Cristiano Ronaldo also took to Instagram following the win against Igor Jovicevic’s side and he expressed his delight with the three points. He posted a picture of himself celebrating with the caption:

“That winning feeling!”

The Portuguese icon’s goal came in the 78th minute and it was a moment of pure class from the Al-Nassr superstar. He nutmegged a defender before finding the bottom corner with a left-footed strike.

Al-Alami have now won four consecutive games and are hitting their stride following a disappointing start to the season. Ronaldo has struck up a formidable partnership with Mane who arrived at the club from Bayern Munich in the summer.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s winning mentality is working a treat at Al-Nassr as they look to challenge for the Saudi Pro League title. He boasts an overall record of 21 goals and seven assists in 25 games across competitions since arriving in January.

The legendary forward will next be in action when his side face Iranian outfit Persepolis FC on Tuesday (September 19) in the AFC Champions League.