Cristiano Ronaldo sends emphatic message to fans after scoring first half hat-trick in 8-0 Al-Nassr win vs Abha

Cristiano Ronaldo wrote a message on his Instagram after Al-Nassr hammered Abha 8-0 away in the Saudi Pro League on Tuesday, April 2.

The Knights of Njad put in a sensational performance on the night led from the front by their skipper Ronaldo. He opened the scoring in the 11th minute before doubling their lead in the 21st minute. He completed his hattrick in the 42nd minute after Sadio Mane had made it 3-0 for Al-Nassr in the 33rd minute.

Abdulmajeed Al-Sulaiheem made it 5-0 in the 44th minute. Abdulrahman Ghareeb's strike (51') and Abdulaziz Al-Aliwa's brace (63', 86') completed the 8-0 rout in the second half.

Cristiano Ronaldo later took to his Instagram to share some pictures from the game and wrote the caption:

"We are not slowing down!"

Ronaldo also provided an assist in the game, taking his overall tally to 36 goals and 12 assists in 35 appearances across competitions this season for Al-Nassr. The Knights of Njad remained second, 12 points behind Al-Hilal with four games to go in the Saudi Pro League.

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Giorgio Chiellini on playing with Al-Nassr superstar Cristiano Ronaldo at Juventus

Former Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini recently spoke about how it was playing with Cristiano Ronaldo at Juventus. The duo shared the pitch 55 times after the latter moved to the Italian side from Real Madrid in 2018 and even had two goal combinations.

In a recent interview on FIFA's website, Chiellini hailed Ronaldo's dedication and determination, saying (via Goal):

“Cristiano was a very demanding guy, who always wanted to win, and he managed to convey that to everyone. He wanted to score, break all the records and always win, which he continues to do even now. That’s Cristiano and he’s exactly as you see him.

"You can get to know people without experiencing them, but there were so many little things [with him] – like his dedication to small things everyday – that made it a privilege for me to have played with him for three years.”

Cristiano Ronaldo made 134 appearances for Juventus, scoring 101 goals and providing 22 assists. He helped them win two Serie A titles, among other trophies, before leaving in 2021.