Ronaldo Escapes Administrative Punishment in Riyadh Derby, According to Expert
17 January 2026
Match recap
Al-Nassr defeated Al-Shabab 3-2 in a Roshen Saudi Pro League derby held in Riyadh. Ronaldo did not score in the match, but he still leads the league with 15 goals.
Expert verdict on Ronaldo's conduct
Mohammed Al-Huwaish, a match-official analyst, suggested Ronaldo should have received an administrative punishment for unsporting conduct during the game. He noted that Abdulrahman Ghareeb's third goal was legitimate and that there was no offside at the start of the attack.
Even while aligning with the on-field referee's decisions, the analyst emphasized Ronaldo's actions after the goal, including a shove toward Shabab's goalkeeper Marcelo Grohe, which could warrant a caution for unsportsmanlike behavior.
The report also recalls Grohe's earlier saves and frames Ronaldo's incident within the derby's tense atmosphere. Regardless of the debate, Al-Nassr emerged victoriously, and Ronaldo remains the league's top scorer with 15 goals.
Punchline 1: Ronaldo dodges a yellow like it’s a long-range free kick—graceful, but the referee still has the final say.
Punchline 2: If calendar days had cards, Ronaldo would need a new season-long planner—one with plenty of red for balance, not for the count.
