'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAFAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMH/8QAFQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAwT/2gAMAwEAAhADEAAAAMWkTp//xAAeEAACAgEFAQAAAAAAAAAAAAACBAEDAAUGEyEzUv/aAAgBAQABPwBjdU6WhanUiBw6NfIRH84wtUDFoxN3RTHpn//EABkRAAEFAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgMSIf/aAAgBAgEBPwCRKa0//8QAFhEBAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQAx/9oACAEDAQE/ABXb/9k='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Al-Nassr fans are overjoyed to see Cristiano Ronaldo feature in the starting XI to face Al-Akhdoud in their Saudi Pro League clash at home today (Friday, November 24).
Saudi Pro League football is back after two weeks following the international break. The Knights of Najd will be aiming to continue the stellar form they have shown in recent months. They are currently second in the standings with 31 points from 13 games, four points behind leaders Al-Hilal.
Raghed Al-Najjar starts in goal for Al-Nassr. Sultan Al-Ghannam, Abdulelah Al-Amri, Mohammed Al-Fatil, and Alex Telles make up the defense with Aymeric Laporte missing out due to injury.
Trending
The midfield consists of Seko Fofana, Sami Al-Najei, Otavio, Anderson Talisca, and Abdulrahman Ghareeb. Marcelo Brozovic and Sadio Mane have been rested and are on the bench. Cristiano Ronaldo starts as the lone forward to complete Luis Castro's starting XI.
Fans are excited to see Cristiano Ronaldo start. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner has been in sensational form this season, netting 16 goals and providing nine assists in 17 appearances across all competitions.
One fan posted on X (formerly Twitter):
"A Hattrick loading"
Another fan wrote:
"He’s definitely scoring today"
Ronaldo will be fancying his chances of getting on the scoresheet against Al-Akhdoud. The away side are 16th in the table with just 10 points and have conceded 20 goals this season already.
Chelsea forward admits Cristiano Ronaldo was his idol growing up
Chelsea star Nicolas Jackson recently opened up about Cristiano Ronaldo's influence on his career admitting he had the latter's name on his shirt growing up.
Jackson didn't have the easiest of come-ups and was playing football in the streets of Senegal without proper shoes just six years ago. Fortunately, he joined the Villareal B team in 2019 and worked hard to make his senior debut for the club in 2021.
The 22-year-old told The Telegraph (via Sports Brief):
“When I was growing up, I loved Cristiano Ronaldo. I had his name on a shirt that I always wore. Not an actual shirt because they are expensive, so you don’t buy them. But I had a shirt that I put 7, Ronaldo on with a pen. I did it myself when I was a kid."
He added:
“Of course, I would pretend to be him, but it was difficult to watch his games because you needed to pay. We would go to my friend’s house, everybody. We would watch in a large group, never just with one person in the house. All my friends, we’d all go to one house to watch Real Madrid.”
Jackson joined Chelsea this summer and has had a mixed start to his tenure at Stamford Bridge, scoring seven goals in 14 appearances. However, he did recently score a hat-trick against Tottenham Hotspur, hitting his idol's iconic 'Siuuu' celebration towards the end.
