Al Nassr vs Al Kholood: Nigeria's Troost-Ekong left reeling after failing to stop GOAT Ronaldo

Friday night turned into a tough lesson for Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong as his Al Kholood side fell 3-1 to Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League.

The Nigerian defender, tasked with containing the man many call the GOAT, couldn’t stop Ronaldo from leaving his mark at Al Awwal Park.

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Troost-Ekong, a rock at the back for Al Kholood, faced an uphill battle from the start.

Al Nassr struck first through the GOAT himself, Ronaldo, who was in the right place and time to slot home easily in the fourth minute.

The 40-year-old legend fired a low shot past goalkeeper Marcelo Grohe, to open the scoring reminding everyone why he’s still a force with his 928th career goal.

And just before the half-hour mark, Sadio Mane, not to be outshone, doubled the lead for Al Nassr.

In the 41st minute, new star Jhon Durán sealed the rout late on, despite a consolation goal from Jackson Muleka for Al Kholood.

For Troost-Ekong, it was a night of frustration. The centre back, who’s been a steady hand since joining from PAOK, stood tall for much of the match but couldn’t thwart Ronaldo’s relentless drive.

Al Kholood’s loss drops them to 10th with 31 points, while Al Nassr climbs to third, chasing the league’s top dogs.

For Troost-Ekong, it’s back to the drawing board, stopping the GOAT proved a challenge too steep, leaving him and his teammates to rue a night where Ronaldo’s brilliance shone brightest.

The 31-year-old former Tottenham defender will now switch attention to the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, where he hopes to lead Nigeria’s Super Eagles to glory.

Nigeria, under new manager Eric Chelle, are looking to revive their 2026 dreams against Rwanda and Zimbabwe after a shaky start to the qualifiers.