Cristiano Ronaldo, the captain of Al-Nassr, highlighted the significance of his team’s 1-0 win against Esteghlal FC in the AFC Champions League on Tuesday, October 22. The match took place at Al-Rashid Stadium in Dubai and was a closely contested game.
Aymeric Laporte scored the decisive goal for Al-Nassr with just nine minutes left, securing the team’s second consecutive win in the tournament. Al-Nassr previously started their campaign with a 1-1 draw against Al-Shorta and then secured a 2-1 victory over Al-Rayyan on matchday two.
Despite Ronaldo not scoring during the match, a rare occurrence for the star player, Al-Nassr managed to move to fourth place in Group B. They are currently two points behind group leaders Al-Hilal. After the match, Ronaldo expressed his happiness on social media, saying:
“An important win! Let’s go Al-Nassr!”
An important win! Let’s go @AlNassrFC! pic.twitter.com/FF6AFIUpr9
— Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano) October 22, 2024
This match marked only the second time this season, in 11 appearances across all competitions, that Ronaldo didn’t score. However, in his previous AFC Champions League appearance, he netted a goal in the 2-1 win over Al-Rayyan.
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Mikael Silvestre Talks About Cristiano Ronaldo’s Potential Return to Manchester United
Former Manchester United defender Mikael Silvestre believes Cristiano Ronaldo might return to Manchester United one day, though not necessarily as a player. Ronaldo’s second spell at the club, which began in 2021 after his move from Juventus, didn’t go as planned. Despite being the top scorer for the team in his first season with 24 goals, Ronaldo faced challenges under the leadership of current manager Erik ten Hag.
Ronaldo’s frustration grew, leading to a controversial interview with broadcaster Piers Morgan, where he criticized the club and the coach. This ultimately led to his contract being terminated, and he moved to his current club, Al Nassr.
Silvestre, who played alongside Ronaldo at Manchester United between 2003 and 2008, shared his thoughts, stating that Ronaldo’s return to the club in some role is likely, but it won’t happen soon. He noted that Ronaldo is a club legend, and it would be exciting to see him back at Old Trafford in the future, though it’s not the right time yet.
I think it’s only a matter of time before Cristiano Ronaldo reunites with Manchester United fans in some capacity at the club, but it won’t be anytime soon. He is a legend of the club, and it will be amazing when we see him at Old Trafford again, but it’s too early to think about at the moment. Not yet.”
During his time at Manchester United, across two spells, Ronaldo scored 145 goals, solidifying his legendary status at the club.
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