“Cristiano Ronaldo targeted by criticism after unbelievable miss.”

Cristiano Ronaldo, the living legend of world football, is facing intense scrutiny on social media following an unbelievable miss that left Al Nassr fans in shock. Despite having opened the scoring in the resounding 4-0 victory over Al-Wasl, a team coached by Rui Vitória, in the quarter-finals of the AFC Champions League, the Portuguese forward could not escape the wrath of supporters who did not forgive the error.

At 11 minutes, Ronaldo scored his 969th career goal, demonstrating that his goal-scoring instinct remains sharp. However, in the second half, a clear goal-scoring opportunity following a perfect cross from Marcelo Brozovic was inexplicably squandered. This moment triggered a storm of criticism on X, formerly known as Twitter, with comments that did not hold back against the Portuguese international.

“Even my grandfather would have scored that,” wrote one user, in a fierce critique of the player’s form. Another added, “He is so finished. He can no longer do the one thing he is good at.” Several followers lamented the evident decline in Ronaldo’s heading ability, pointing out that this is one area where his performance has dropped significantly: only three of the 26 goals scored this season by Al Nassr have been headers.

Nonetheless, the goal statistics remain impressive. With 24 accurate shots, Ronaldo is still in the running for his third consecutive Golden Boot in the Saudi League, just three goals behind leader Ivan Toney of Al Ahli. The 41-year-old forward proves that, despite the mistakes, his instinct for scoring remains intact.

The context of the team cannot be overlooked either. Led by the experienced Jorge Jesus, Al Nassr tops the Saudi League with a comfortable eight-point lead over second-placed Al Hilal, although having played one more game. The next big challenge is scheduled for this Wednesday, in the semi-finals of the Asian Champions League 2, where Al Nassr faces Qatar’s Al Ahli. As the season nears its end, the team is preparing for a crucial showdown against Ivan Toney’s Al Ahli on April 29, which could determine the course of the domestic competition.

This episode places Ronaldo under enormous pressure, with social media turning into an unforgiving court. The question lingering is: will the Portuguese forward be able to overcome this moment of crisis and lead Al Nassr to yet another title, or is the end of one of the greatest players of all time truly approaching? The answer will be revealed in the upcoming matches, but one thing is certain: the world’s attention is focused on Cristiano Ronaldo more than ever.

This article first appeared on Apito Final.