I Don’t Care about Individual Records Anymore, Ronaldo Says

Football - Asian Champions League - Group B – Al-Nassr v Al-Rayyan - Al-Awwal Park, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - September 30, 2024 Al-Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring their second goal. (Reuters)
Football - Asian Champions League - Group B – Al-Nassr v Al-Rayyan - Al-Awwal Park, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - September 30, 2024 Al-Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring their second goal. (Reuters)
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I Don’t Care about Individual Records Anymore, Ronaldo Says

Football - Asian Champions League - Group B – Al-Nassr v Al-Rayyan - Al-Awwal Park, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - September 30, 2024 Al-Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring their second goal. (Reuters)
Football - Asian Champions League - Group B – Al-Nassr v Al-Rayyan - Al-Awwal Park, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - September 30, 2024 Al-Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring their second goal. (Reuters)

Cristiano Ronaldo insists he is focused on being the perfect team member at Saudi side Al-Nassr rather than collecting more individual accolades in the twilight of his career.

The 39-year-old, who has won the Ballon d'Or award five times, scored in Al-Nassr's 2-1 win over Al-Rayyan of Qatar in their AFC Champions League Group B match on Monday.

It was the club's fourth successive victory in all competitions under new coach Stefano Pioli, who replaced Luis Castro last month.

"It was a strong and difficult match like all the matches in the AFC Champions League, but the most important thing is that we created many chances and defended well to prevent the opponent from creating easy chances," Ronaldo told a press conference.

"It is not important anymore whether I am the best or not, I no longer care about that. It is good for a player to score goals, but for me it is better for the team to win.

"I am used to breaking records and I no longer look for them. The most important thing for me now is to enjoy and help Al-Nassr and my teammates to win."

Ronaldo became the top scorer in a single season in the Saudi Pro League last May with 35 goals.

The Portugal captain also scored his 901st career goal in a 2-1 win over Scotland in the Nations League last month.

"My goal against Al-Rayyan was different and important because my father would have been happy with it if he was alive, as today (yesterday) is his birthday," the former Real Madrid, Juventus and Manchester United forward added.



Renard Confirms Saudi National Team's Readiness for the 26th Arabian Gulf Cup

The Saudi team is set to face Bahrain on Sunday - SPA
The Saudi team is set to face Bahrain on Sunday - SPA
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Renard Confirms Saudi National Team's Readiness for the 26th Arabian Gulf Cup

The Saudi team is set to face Bahrain on Sunday - SPA
The Saudi team is set to face Bahrain on Sunday - SPA

French coach Hervé Renard has confirmed the Saudi national football team's readiness to compete in the 26th Arabian Gulf Cup in Kuwait, from 21 December 2024 to 3 January 2025, and stressed that the team aims to achieve great results, rather than merely gain experience.
Renard also said the tournament is a valuable opportunity to enhance the players' technical and physical capabilities, SPA reported.
Speaking at a press conference, Renard said: "We are here to participate effectively and win. This tournament provides a great platform to work with the players and prepare them for future competitions."
Regarding the team's condition, Renard said that player Hassan Tambakti is ready for action, while Salem Al-Dawsari is "working on regaining full fitness".

He commended Al-Dawsari for his dedication to speeding up his recovery. Meanwhile, Firas Al-Brikan is dealing with an injury, and his availability will depend on further evaluations, said Renard.
Acknowledging the challenges ahead, Renard said: "I accepted this challenge because I believe in the players' capabilities. We must work with team spirit and focus on improvement in the coming period."
As far as the team's opening match against Bahrain is concerned, Renard said: "We are preparing for a tough game. The preparation period was crucial, and our focus now is on delivering a strong performance."
The Saudi team is set to face Bahrain on Sunday in what promises to be an exciting start to their Gulf Cup matches. Both teams are eager to make a strong impression in their opening match.