Cristiano Ronaldo celebrated Al-Nassr’s 2-0 victory over Al-Ahli with a pointed taunt directed at Ivan Toney, escalating their budding rivalry during a tense Saudi Pro League match.
Match Decides Title Race Momentum
Al-Nassr strengthened their lead at the top of the Saudi Pro League with the midweek win, now eight points clear on 79 points with four games left. Al-Hilal trails in second with a game in hand, while Al-Ahli sits third, 13 points behind despite their own game to play.
Ronaldo broke the deadlock in the 76th minute, but Kingsley Coman sealed the result in the 90th, triggering celebrations right in Toney’s face. Footage captures Ronaldo shouting provocatively at the England striker amid the high emotions.
Post-Match Melee Erupts
Tensions exploded after Coman’s heavy challenge on Al-Ahli’s Turkish defender Merih Demiral, sparking a brawl involving players from both sides. Objects rained down from the stands as referees intervened, with Coman receiving a yellow card.
Pre-match friction added fuel: Demiral flaunted his recent Asian Champions League medal at the stadium, posting on social media, ‘For the first time, there’s a Champions League medal in their stadium.’
Al-Ahli fans later mocked Ronaldo’s lack of Saudi titles, prompting his retort: ‘I have five,’ alluding to his UEFA Champions League triumphs.
Al-Ahli’s Refereeing Complaints
The clash follows Al-Ahli’s frustrations from a 1-1 draw with Al-Fayha earlier this month, where Toney accused officials of overlooking clear penalties.
‘I think the very big talking point was the two penalties, it is as clear as day,’ Toney stated post-match. ‘I don’t know what more you want him to do, if you pick the ball up with two hands are you going to give a penalty or not?’
He added that when players approached the referee, they were told to ‘focus on the AFC [Champions League].’ Toney hinted at bias, laughing when asked who benefits: ‘We know who, who are we chasing?’—likely referencing Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr.
On social media, Toney shared clips of three penalty claims, declaring, ‘It’s actually crazy how you can miss things like this in crucial moments or chose to turn a blind eye. It’s clear what is being influenced here.’
Teammate Galeno amplified the claims, posting, ‘Hand over the trophy, that’s what they want, they want to knock us out of the championship by any means necessary, they want to hand the trophy to one person, a total lack of respect for our club.’
Al-Ahli issued a statement expressing ‘deep dissatisfaction with the refereeing errors’ that impacted the game’s outcome. The club demanded access to referee-VAR communications and explanations for disputed decisions, stressing the need for competitive fairness in the league.
