Al-Nassr’s coach decided to give Cristiano Ronaldo a break from their recent game against Damac.
This means Ronaldo watched the game from the sidelines instead of playing.
The coach planned this ahead of time because Al-Nassr has a very important game coming up soon against Al-Hilal. They want Ronaldo to be well-rested and in top shape for that bigger match.
Al-Nassr isn’t doing very well in the regular season (Saudi Pro League) whereas Al-Hilal is far ahead. But the Super Cup is a separate competition, and Al-Nassr sees it as their best chance to win a trophy this year.
This might seem strange because Ronaldo just played amazingly well a few days ago, scoring 3 goals and helping his team with assists in the first half alone! The coach decided it was better to save Ronaldo’s energy for the even more important game.
Even though he’s almost 40 years old, Ronaldo is the top scorer in the league and also leads in assists. He’s a very valuable player for Al-Nassr, and they want him at his best when it matters most.