Cristiano Ronaldo Sends Strong Personal Message on Thursday
Cristiano Ronaldo made headlines once again on Thursday night after scoring a hat-trick in Al-Nassr's dominant 4-0 win over Rio Ave in a preseason match. But beyond the goals, it was the message he shared afterward that truly stood out.
"Keep pushing, there's more to do. 🟡🔵," Ronaldo posted on Instagram, along with photos from the match.
At 40 years old, Ronaldo continues to show the same hunger and drive that made him one of the greatest soccer stars of all time.
Al-Nassr vs. Rio Ave
Ronaldo's first goal came late in the first half after a sharp one-two combination with new teammate João Felix. The ball dropped near the edge of the box, and Ronaldo didn't hesitate, firing low into the near post.
After halftime, he gave up a chance to score from the penalty spot. When Nelson Abbey handled the ball in the box, Ronaldo passed the responsibility to Sadio Mané. But the Senegalese forward's shot was saved. Less than 20 seconds later, Ronaldo made up for it, heading the ball home after a cross from Wesley.
His final goal of the night came in the 68th minute. Felix was brought down in the area, and this time Ronaldo took the penalty himself. He sent the goalkeeper the wrong way, completing the hat-trick and sealing the win for Al-Nassr.
The three goals mark another highlight in Ronaldo's long career. He now has 22 goals in 26 matches across all competitions for club and country in 2025.
Cristiano Ronaldo's Leadership
Thursday's game also marked a strong showing from Ronaldo's fellow Portuguese teammate, Felix.
Felix's arrival adds new power to Al-Nassr's attacking line, which already includes Sadio Mané. Coach Jorge Jesus is aiming to build a title-winning squad around these stars, with Ronaldo at the center of the plan.
Despite his continued excellence, Ronaldo was left off the 30-player shortlist for the 2025 Ballon d'Or. The award, given to the best soccer player of the year, has been won by Ronaldo five times in his career, second only to Lionel Messi.
He broke the Saudi Pro League's single-season goal record in 2023–24 with 35 goals and finished last season with 25. His form this year shows he's still among the world's top scorers, even if award voters look elsewhere.
What's Next for Cristiano Ronaldo and Al-Nassr?
Al-Nassr's preseason campaign continues, and with Ronaldo in peak form, the team is expected to be a strong contender for domestic and regional honors.
For Ronaldo, every game is another chance to prove he's still at the top. And if his words on Thursday are any sign, he's not planning to slow down.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 8, 2025, where it first appeared.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Washington Post
29 minutes ago
- Washington Post
CFP Bracket Watch: No. 1 Texas would be among 4 from SEC in 12-team field based on preseason poll
Texas, Penn State, Ohio State and Clemson would be the top four seeds in the College Football Playoff based on The Associated Press preseason Top 25 poll with Georgia, Notre Dame, Oregon and Alabama hosting first-round games. The first poll-based bracket includes four teams from the Southeastern Conference, three from the Big Ten, two from Atlantic Coast Conference, one from the Big 12, one from the Mountain West and one independent. Based on the preseason Top 25 rankings, the CFP would open like this:
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Grealish looks to reignite his career after joining Everton on a season-long loan deal from Man City
LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — England midfielder Jack Grealish will look to reignite his career after joining Everton on a season-long loan deal from Manchester City on Tuesday. The 29-year-old Grealish, one of the poster boys of English soccer, became the country's most expensive player after a 2021 move from Aston Villa to City for 100 million pounds (then $139 million). He was a regular pick in City's historic 2022-23 season when the team won the Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup. However, Grealish has fallen out of favor over the last two seasons, not even making City's squad for the recent Club World Cup, and has chosen to move to Everton for a season ahead of the 2026 World Cup in North America. 'I'm over the moon to have signed for Everton - it's massive for me, honestly,' Grealish said. 'This is a great club, with great fans." The loan switch removes not only a high-earner from City's wage bill but also one of the many attacking midfielders built up in City's stacked squad. Grealish often had a free, roaming role when making his name at Villa, but had to be more disciplined and restricted as a left-sided forward in City manager Pep Guardiola's system of play. Everton manager David Moyes will try to get the best out of Grealish again, with the team's first match of the Premier League season at Leeds on Monday. 'As soon as I spoke to the manager, I knew there was only one place that I wanted to go,' Grealish said. ___ AP soccer:
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Jaguars' Liam Coen evaluates RB Bhayshul Tuten's preseason performance
After reviewing the game tape from the Jacksonville Jaguars' preseason opener, head coach Liam Coen was pleased with what he saw from rookie running back Bhayshul Tuten. "I thought he ran it pretty well, actually," Coen said on Monday. "From a physicality standpoint, if you're going to take the positive from the other night, was on both sides of the ball was physical. We stopped the run and we ran it okay, but we ran it when we kind of needed to--it became a little bit more of a throw game. But I thought he did some nice things. He was able to make some guys miss in the hole. He ran hard, he had good ball security, so I was pleased with Tuten." The Jaguars took a good look at Tuten in that game, giving him 20 total snaps on offense. He ended up carrying the ball six times for 24 yards, which included a physical touchdown run. Tuten also had two targets in the passing game, and he caught both of them for 16 yards, and showcased his ability in space. Tuten's presence in the Jaguars' backfield brings an added home run ability to the run game with his 4.32 speed. Tuten will factor into the Jaguars' offense this season, but the big question right now is, how much? Given how the training camp practices have unfolded to this point, it would appear that, based on workload with the first team offense, Travis Etienne and Tank Bigsby are at the top of the running back depth chart. This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: Jaguars preseason: Liam Coen evaluates Bhayshul Tuten's play
