Cristiano Ronaldo cut a frustrated figure in Saturday's clash with Al-Ittihad, and the Al-Nassr star's lacklustre display reopened the familiar debate over his impact on the team.
Al-Nassr tasted defeat for the first time this 2026-27 Saudi Pro League season, going down 2-1 to Al-Ittihad.
Saudi sports journalist Abdulkarim Al-Zamil weighed in on how Al-Nassr are deploying Ronaldo. His argument? The team effectively play with ten men whenever the Portuguese is on the pitch.
"Al-Nassr with Ronaldo plays a man down even if he scores, this is a truth some overlook," Al-Zamil wrote on X.
He then drew a line between the ambitions of player and club, explaining: "Al-Nassr's goal is a trophy and Ronaldo's is the thousandth goal."
Dropping Ronaldo isn't the fix, in Al-Zamil's view. Rationing his minutes is. He suggested using the forward more in the second half, adding: "Rationing his participation to the second half is in his interest and the team's interest!".
The defeat left Al-Nassr stuck on 12 points in second place. It also handed top spot to Al-Hilal, while Al-Ittihad climbed into fourth on 11 points.