From Madrid to the Saudi Pro League: Ronaldo Distributes Hugs in Al Nassr vs Al Qadsiah
8 January 2026
Match moments warm the Saudi showdown
Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo, of Al Nassr, showered teammates and rivals with hugs during the Saudi Pro League clash against Al Qadsiah.
Al Nassr hosted Al Qadsiah at Al-Awwal Park in the 14th round of the league season.
Before kick-off, Ronaldo walked over to Brendan Rodgers, Al Qadsiah’s coach, embraced him and spoke briefly before returning to the pitch.
Ronaldo had never played under Rodgers, though he faced him in the Premier League during his Manchester United days when Rodgers led Leicester City in 2021-22 and 2022-23, before Ronaldo moved to Al Nassr.
Additionally, Ronaldo hugged his former Real Madrid teammate Nacho Fernandez during the pre-match draw.
Nacho and Ronaldo had been teammates at Real Madrid from 2012 until Ronaldo left for Juventus in 2018.
Video: Ronaldo's gestures added a human touch to a competitive encounter.
Punchline 1: If hugs were goals, Ronaldo would be the league’s top scorer.
Punchline 2: In football, even the defense can’t resist a good squeeze of sportsmanship.
