Ronaldo waves Saudi flag scarf after missile alert delays Asian Champions League match in Riyadh
Quick Look
- Cristiano Ronaldo celebrated Al-Nassr's 3-1 AFC Champions League Elite win over Neftchi Fergana by waving a Saudi flag scarf after a missile alert delayed kick-off in Riyadh.
- The Saudi-led coalition intercepted a ballistic missile aimed at the capital, while Houthi attacks on Riyadh airport killed 14 over the weekend.
- Ronaldo, 41, scored to reach 981 career goals and previously said he 'belongs to Saudi Arabia' despite being Portuguese.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Al-Nassr began the AFC Champions League Elite campaign with a 4-0 loss to Al-Ain before securing their first win against Neftchi Fergana. Cristiano Ronaldo, who joined Al-Nassr in January 2023 and extended his contract until 2027, scored in the 42nd minute to reach 981 career goals. Meanwhile, Houthi forces have renewed attacks on Saudi territory, including strikes on Riyadh airport, amid broader Yemen conflict involving Saudi-backed forces and Iran-aligned groups.
Cristiano Ronaldo waved a scarf bearing the Saudi flag after Al-Nassr’s Asian Champions League victory on Monday, following a missile alert that delayed kick-off by an hour in Riyadh.
Al-Nassr beat Uzbekistan’s Neftchi Fergana 3-1 in the AFC Champions League Elite at Al-Awwal Park.
Ronaldo draped the scarf around his shoulders as he joined his teammates to applaud supporters. Before the game, he had also kissed the Saudi national emblem on his shirt.
Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defence issued its warning about 15 minutes before the scheduled start. Players waited in dressing rooms while spectators remained seated.
The Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen’s Houthis said it intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile fired towards the capital. Civil Defence later announced that the danger had passed.
Al-Nassr later shared a quote on its Arabic X account from Ronaldo’s June 2025 interview with the club: “I’m Portuguese, but I belong to Saudi Arabia.”
He made the comments after extending his contract until 2027, having joined Al-Nassr in January 2023.
The 41-year-old’s goal in the 42nd minute on Monday took his career tally to 981, leaving him 19 short of 1,000.
Angelo Gabriel had opened the scoring before Alisher Odilov pulled one back for Neftchi in the second half. The visitors later had a player sent off and conceded an own goal.
The victory was Al-Nassr’s first of the campaign after a 4-0 defeat by Al-Ain in their opening game.
Deadly attacks on Riyadh airport
Houthi attacks on King Khalid International Airport killed 14 people over the weekend, according to Saudi authorities. Thirteen died following Saturday’s strike, which injured more than 300 people, and a further attack on Sunday killed one person and wounded 11.
The airport remains closed. Saudi officials told the Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity, that an investigation was examining how missiles and drones breached the kingdom’s air defences.
Yemen has seen renewed fighting after four years of relative calm. Forces allied to its internationally recognised government launched a Saudi-backed offensive against the Iran-aligned Houthis earlier this month.
Al-Ahli Saudi FC defender Merih Demiral also offered condolences at a press conference on Sunday. The Turkey international described Saudi Arabia as his second home.
“My thoughts, prayers and heart are with them,” he said.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Cristiano Ronaldo will reach 1,000 career goals before his Al-Nassr contract ends in 2027.
Likely · Within months
Open Questions
- What specific measures will Saudi Arabia take to prevent future missile and drone breaches of its air defences?
- How will the ongoing Yemen conflict affect regional stability and Saudi Arabia's security posture in the coming months?
- Will Cristiano Ronaldo reach 1,000 career goals before his contract ends in 2027?
