Ronaldo, 39, appeared frustrated throughout the game and lost his composure in the 86th minute when his team was trailing by two goals. Former Barcelona winger Malcom scored one of the goals that contributed to Ronaldo’s frustration. In an attempt to quickly resume play, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner tried to retrieve the ball for a throw-in but was obstructed by Saudi Arabia international Ali Al-Bulaihi. In response, Ronaldo shoved his opponent and threw an elbow into his chest, causing the defender to fall to the ground.
This incident led to Ronaldo receiving a red card and sarcastically applauding the referee and the crowd as he left the field. Al Nassr manager Luis Castro criticized the referee’s decision to send off Ronaldo, claiming that the player was treated unfairly. He mentioned instances from earlier in the season in which Ronaldo was provoked and stated that the contact between Ronaldo and the opponent’s defender was minimal. He expressed his belief that Ronaldo did not deserve to be sent off.
These comments were reported in the *Daily Mirror*.