The five-time Ballon d’Or still marks as much, but collective success continues to escape it in the Middle East.
Last Wednesday, after Al-Nassr’s Crève-Coeur defeat (3-2) against the Japanese front Kawasaki team in the semi-finals of the Asian Champions League (AFC), the cameras focused on a Cristiano Ronaldo relying on his frustration, alone in the central round. Gestures of annoyance of the hands and feet, head down then lost look launched towards the sky … The Portuguese seemed to ruminate this enormous opportunity to equalize that he had harvested in additional time. He wondered, once again, his eyes raised towards the Seudian heavens: “Why me?”
However, it is difficult to invoke the only unlucky or fate to explain this new disillusionment. Al-Nassr would undoubtedly be qualified for the continental final if his 40-year-old star striker had shown himself a little more lucid and effective in front of the goal. Because in addition to this goldly missed gold occasion in the last moments, CR7 had also found the crossbar on a powerful head in the first half, before spoiling two free kicks very well placed after the break.
At his peak, at the top of his art, Cristiano Ronaldo fed on these high -pressure cups, these decisive moments when everything is played out on a detail. He excelled when the issues were raised. But it is clear that in Saudi Arabia, it sorely struggles to endorse this costume of ultimate “different-make-make”, a player capable of turning the fate of a meeting alone, a reputation that has forged his planetary legend. We can even legitimately ask the question: did the old superstar of Manchester United and Real Madrid not, paradoxically, weakened al-Nassr? The club was in fact at the top of the Saudi Pro League when it arrived in great fanfare in January 2023 …
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Admittedly, Ronaldo’s arrival has undeniably and considerably increased the visibility and attractiveness of Saudi football on the world scene. But on the purely sporting level, he has not (yet?) Managed to bring Al-Nassr into a new glorious and triumphant era. No major trophy has come to garnish the showcase of the Al-Awwal Park club since his arrival ago three seasons ago. And except an improbable miracle in the last five days of the championship, this disturbing black series and this scarcity of titles will inevitably continue to continue one more year.
In this context, it appears more and more clearly than the adventure of Cristiano Ronaldo in the Middle East is more limited to a lucrative operation of “Statistics inflation” personal than a quest for collective success. He certainly continues to stack the goals at a frantic pace, and some individual records could still fall to the end of his contract. But if the most important and prestigious trophies continue to obstinately escape Al-Nassr, this last chapter of the immense and wealthy CR7 career is very likely to add absolutely nothing-even to tarnish slightly-its global legend and its inheritance in the history of football.
