37-year-old Al Nassr star to captain SPL side against Al-Hazm in Cristiano Ronaldo's absence - Reports
According to a Saudi Arabian journalist, Al-Nassr's 37-year-old goalkeeper Walid Abdullah will be handed over the captaincy in Cristiano Ronaldo's absence.
The Portuguese icon will miss their upcoming game against Al-Hazm as a result of the one-match ban he was handed following his response to Al-Shabab fans chanting the name of Lionel Messi. The Portuguese striker's side won that game 3-2 on Sunday (February 25).
Ronaldo will be a huge miss for the Riyadh-based side, given his form this season. The former Manchester United attacker has bagged 28 goals and 11 assists in 29 appearances across competitions.
Claiming that the team's experienced goalkeeper, Walid Abdullah, will wear the armband in Al-Nassr's next game, the journalist wrote on X (formerly Twitter):
"After the absence of the legend and Captain Sultan Al-Ghannam. The Al-Nasr leadership badge is transferred to Captain Walid Abdullah. Good luck."
The goalkeeper, who started his team's latest win, has made just three league appearances this season and is yet to keep a clean sheet. Overall, he's played 78 matches across competitions for Al-Nassr, keeping 23 clean sheets.
However, Abdullah and Co. cannot afford slip-ups and will have to produce a result against Al-Hazm on Thursday (February 29). They're second in the league standings, seven points behind leaders, Al-Hilal.
Portugal boss Roberto Martinez claims Cristiano Ronaldo's hunger is the reason for Al-Nassr striker's success
Portugal national team coach Roberto Martinez believes that Cristiano Ronaldo's hunger is the reason behind his success even at the age of 39. The former Everton boss has been working with Ronaldo since taking charge of Portugal in January 2023.
Since then, he's managed 10 games for the national team and will be leading the side into the European Championships this summer. He said about Ronaldo (via GOAL):
"I've worked with many, but what sets Cristiano apart is the need to always be prepared to be the best. A contagious hunger, but very difficult to achieve."
The ex-Real Madrid superstar has played 205 matches across competitions for Portugal, bagging 128 goals and 46 assists. Ronaldo has already won the European Championships with his nation in 2016 but is yet to lay his hands on the coveted World Cup trophy.