Rio Ave 0-4 Al Nassr FC: Ronaldo makes hat trick in the pre-season friendly

Al-Nassr secured a dominant 4-0 victory over Rio Ave in a pre-season friendly at Estádio Algarve in Loulé, Portugal.

Match Report

Under the guidance of head coach Jorge Jesus, Al-Nassr entered the match with momentum, having already secured victories in their earlier pre-season games against Toulouse and SK St. Johann in Tirol. The clash against Rio Ave, a team that finished 11th in the 2024-25 Liga Portugal season, was anticipated as a test of both teams’ preparedness.

The match began with Al-Nassr asserting control, dominating possession and creating multiple scoring opportunities. The Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo, wearing his iconic number 7 jersey, stood out as the leader of the team. Despite Rio Ave’s efforts to hold their ground, they struggled against Al-Nassr’s high-intensity gameplay. Mohamed Simakan scored the first goal of the match in 15th minutes.

The first goal of CR7 came just before halftime in the 43rd minute. After a well-coordinated play involving João Félix, Ronaldo broke into the box and unleashed a powerful shot past the goalkeeper, putting Al-Nassr ahead. Félix, a fellow Portuguese international and a recent addition to the team, demonstrated immediate chemistry with Ronaldo, setting the tone for a dynamic partnership.

In the second half, Ronaldo continued to shine. In the 63rd minute, just 1 minute after Sadio Mané missed the penalty, Wesley Ribeiro delivered a pinpoint cross into the box, allowing Ronaldo to rise high and head the ball into the net. This goal extended Al-Nassr’s lead to 3-0 and showcased Ronaldo’s unmatched aerial prowess.

Ronaldo completed his hat-trick in the 82nd minute after João Félix was fouled inside the penalty area. Unlike an earlier penalty opportunity given to Sadio Mané, which was missed, Ronaldo took this one himself and calmly converted it with a powerful strike. The crowd of 10,000 at Estádio Algarve erupted in applause as Ronaldo celebrated his third goal of the night, ends the match by 4-0. 

Match Events

0' The match is about to start!

0' Match Event for Rio Ave vs Al Nassr FC

11' Match Event for Rio Ave vs Al Nassr FC

16' GOAL! Rio Ave 0-1 Al Nassr FC

22' Highlight from Rio Ave vs Al Nassr FC

44' GOAL! Rio Ave 0-2 Al Nassr FC

63' Penalty Missed!

65' GOAL! Rio Ave 0-3 Al Nassr FC

68' Penalty Goal! Rio Ave 0-4 Al Nassr FC (Cristiano Ronaldo)

70' Highlight from Rio Ave vs Al Nassr FC

Line-ups

Rio Ave XI: Marios Vrousai, Jonathan Panzo, Ole Pohlmann, Cezary Miszta, Brandon Aguilera, Clayton, Nelson Abbey, Nicolaos Athanasiou, André Luiz, richardos andreas ntoi, Theofanis Bakoulas

Subs: João Novais, João Graça, Kevin Chamorro, Julien Lomboto, João Tomé, Francisco Petrasso, Karem Zoabi, Tobías Medina, Antonis Papakanellos, Antzelo Sina, valentim sousa

Al Nassr FC XI: Ronaldo, Brozovic, Mane, Felix, Abdulelah Al-Amri, Mohamed Simakan, Bento, Nawaf Al-Boushal, Ayman Yahya, Ângelo, Wesley

Subs: Otávio, Abdulmajeed Al-Sulayhim, Sultan Al-Ghannam, Abdullah Alkhaibari, Raghed Al-Najjar, Abdulrahman Ghareeb, Ali Al-Hassan, Nader Al-Sharari, Nawaf Al-Aqidi, Mohammed Marran, Abdulaziz Al-Aliwa, Salem Al Najdi, Majed Qasheesh, Awad Aman, Saad Haqawi, mashari nimr al, mubarak buainain al