Cristiano Ronaldo is gearing up for the 2025–26 season, which will once again see him competing in Saudi Arabia. As part of their preseason tour, Al Nassr played their second international friendly and defeated French side Toulouse 2-1 at the modest Untersberg-Arena in Austria. Ronaldo started the match under coach Jorge Jesus, netted the 1-1 equalizer, and was subbed off at halftime. Mohammed Maran later scored the winner.
This match followed Al Nassr’s 5-2 victory over Austrian club SK St. Johann last Saturday—a game in which Ronaldo did not feature. However, the clash against Toulouse marked the team’s first real test of the summer, going up against European opposition from France’s Ligue 1.
Early in the match, Ronaldo came close to scoring alongside fellow newcomer João Félix. After a strong play by Sadio Mané down the wing, a low cross was sent into the box, but neither Portuguese forward could finish.
Toulouse capitalized on a defensive mistake shortly after. Ayman Yahya misplayed a ball that left Yann Gboho one-on-one with Al Nassr goalkeeper Bento. While the initial shot lacked power, it managed to slip past the Brazilian keeper for a 1-0 lead in the 25th minute.
Despite showing some defensive issues, Al Nassr responded quickly—and it was Ronaldo who delivered. In the 33rd minute, Wesley burst down the right flank and delivered a pinpoint cross to the center of the box. Ronaldo found space and slotted home a clean finish to level the score.
Shortly after, Ronaldo nearly added another, dazzling his defender with quick footwork before sending a shot just wide of the post. It was an encouraging performance from the Portuguese legend, though the squad clearly still has areas to improve. More reinforcements are expected in the coming weeks.
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In the second half, Al Nassr showed glimpses of the fluid, attacking style coach Jorge Jesus is aiming to implement. One of those promising sequences ended with a decisive header from Maran, who sealed the 2-1 victory late in the match.
The Riyadh-based side will continue fine-tuning ahead of a season full of expectations, with Ronaldo once again leading the charge.
