Cristiano Ronaldo played through illness during Al Nassr’s 1-0 win over Al Ettifaq, with head coach Jorge Jesus admitting the forward was close to being left out.
Ronaldo, who was replaced late on, struggled with stomach pains throughout the match and was visibly affected by the end.
“I was thinking of not including him; he wasn’t in good shape,” Jesus said afterwards.
“He was suffering from stomach pains and a general feeling of fatigue and, when I substituted him, he went straight to the dressing room and threw up.”
Ronaldo plays through illness in Al Nassr win
Despite not being fully fit, Ronaldo still played a role in the only goal of the game.
His long-range effort midway through the first half was pushed away by Marek Rodak, but Kingsley Coman reacted quickest to turn in the rebound.
Ronaldo also struck the post and saw another attempt cleared off the line, coming close to adding to his tally on a difficult night physically.
Al Nassr title push continues in Saudi Pro League
The result marked a 15th consecutive league win for Al Nassr, extending a club record and maintaining their position at the top of the Saudi Pro League table.
They now sit eight points clear of Al Hilal, although their rivals still have a game in hand.
Ronaldo has been key to that push, scoring 24 league goals so far this season, placing him third in the scoring charts, just behind Ivan Toney.
Ronaldo reacts after Al Nassr win
After the match, Ronaldo addressed the result on social media, giving no mention to his struggles with illness.
“+3. Great energy from the stand,” he wrote.
The 41-year-old has finished as the league’s top scorer in each of the past two seasons and is finally looking to win a league title in Saudi Arabia, and the club’s first silverware since 2019.
