Cristiano Ronaldo faced intense scrutiny following Al Nassr‘s heavy 4-0 defeat to Al Ain in their AFC Champions League Elite opener. After reporters characterized the Portuguese icon as a liability on the pitch, head coach Ange Postecoglou mounted a firm defense of his star forward.
On Matchday 1 of the 2026-27 AFC Champions League Elite, Al Nassr traveled to face Al Ain, with the UAE side handing Ronaldo one of his heaviest defeats since joining the Saudi Arabian club in 2022. Amid widespread team-wide struggles, the 41-year-old forward drew significant criticism due to his limited influence on the match.
During the post-match press conference, Postecoglou pushed back when asked whether Ronaldo’s presence hampers the team’s tactical structure: “Cristiano has already scored three goals, and he had a limited preparation. This isn’t about the players. The players have given me everything, and they are top players with great character. The responsibility lies with me, okay?“
The Australian manager continued to push back against the line of questioning, defending Ronaldo’s status and work ethic. “But you shouldn’t say that about someone who is still setting an example for everyone, and you need to be careful when speaking this way about people who built their careers by making every sacrifice to keep playing. You can criticize me, no problem,” he added.
Postecoglou was subsequently pressed on claims that Ronaldo contributed “nothing” across Al Nassr‘s last three fixtures. “Nothing? He has three goals in how many games? You obviously don’t watch the games or see the game how I see it. Thank you,” Postecoglou stated before exiting the press conference.
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Cristiano Ronaldo: Al Nassr’s weakest link?
After opening the 2026-27 campaign with strong form, Postecoglou’s Al Nassr hit a rough patch following their first loss of the season against Al Ittihad. The 2-1 defeat in Saudi Pro League action snapped a five-match winning streak while raising broader questions regarding overall squad performance, including whether Ronaldo’s role in the attack limits the team’s potential.
Beginning with that 2-1 setback against Al Ittihad, Al Nassr managed a 2-1 win over Abha and a 1-1 draw against Al Khaleej in domestic play before suffering the 4-0 defeat to Al Ain in the AFC Champions League Elite debut. Across that four-match stretch, Ronaldo scored once against Abha while going scoreless in the remaining three fixtures.
However, fixture congestion has played a major role in the team’s dip in form. Starting with the Al Ittihad match on September 5, Al Nassr played four matches across an 11-day span, leaving the squad with an average of just two days of recovery between fixtures amid reports of team-wide fatigue.
According to match data, Ronaldo missed three big chances during this stretch, yet expected goals metrics reveal broader issues across the pitch. Al Nassr generated lower xG totals than their opponents in both defeats, trailing 1.65 to 1.84 against Al Ittihad and 1.19 to 2.01 against Al Ain. Conceding four goals off 2.01 xG against Al Ain highlights defensive vulnerabilities, indicating the club’s current struggles stem from a structural deficit rather than an individual issue.
