The post on Al Ittihad's X social media account, which garnered around 6 million views after the match, read: "Cheated and still lost!". This status update was accompanied by an image of home defender Danilo Pereira and Ronaldo smiling together on the field.

Al Ittihad Club's X social media post after their 2-1 victory over Al Nassr on 6/9/2026, with the caption: "Cheated and still lost!". Photo: X/Al Ittihad

Al Ittihad Club's X social media post after their 2-1 victory over Al Nassr on 6/9/2026, with the caption: "Cheated and still lost!". Photo: X/Al Ittihad

Danilo, a former teammate of Ronaldo's on the Portuguese national team, was captured in the moment Al Ittihad referenced. It occurred immediately after the 34-year-old defender received a piece of paper with tactical instructions from head coach Jens Wissing in the technical area. The match camera recorded Ronaldo standing directly behind his compatriot, attempting to peek at the note. When Danilo turned around, he was surprised, before both shared a smile.

The incident during the Al Ittihad – Al Nassr match on 5/9/2026 at Alinma Stadium, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, when Cristiano Ronaldo peeked at an opponent's tactical message. Video: Saudi Pro League

Before their 1-2 loss to Al Ittihad, Al Nassr had a four-match winning streak in the Saudi Pro League. This defeat pushed Ronaldo and his teammates down to second place in the standings, three points behind leaders Al Hilal.

At Alinma Stadium in Jeddah, Al Ittihad quickly scored two goals, both from George Ilenikhena, within the first 22 minutes. Angelo Gabriel narrowed the score to 1-2 before halftime with a play involving Ronaldo. However, despite coach Ange Postecoglou's players pressing and besieging the opponent's goal throughout the second half, Al Ittihad stood firm to secure three points.

After the match, another Portuguese international, Joao Felix, a teammate of Ronaldo at Al Nassr, could not hide his disappointment while heading to the team bus. He declined to speak with the media in the mixed zone. In a video circulating on social media, the forward, clearly frustrated, issued a warning: "I will not talk to you. If I speak, I will expose this league."

Al Nassr's Joao Felix refused to be interviewed in the mixed zone after the loss to Al Ittihad and stated, "I will not talk to you. If I speak, I will expose this league." Video: X/PolymarketSport

Meanwhile, coach Postecoglou focused on the bright spots during the post-match press conference. "What I saw after the first 15 minutes was a team consistently creating chances, and that is who we are. Regarding character, my players demonstrated it last season and continue to affirm this season that they remain steadfast," declared the manager, who previously worked in the English Premier League.

Midfielder Gabriel, who scored Al Nassr's only goal, added: "A slip-up leading to a loss is inevitable. Now is the time for the entire team to prove their class as reigning champions in the next round." In round 6, Al Nassr will host Abha, the team currently at the bottom of the standings.

Since the start of the 2026-2027 season, Ronaldo has scored two goals in four appearances for Al Nassr. Before the campaign began, he had left open the possibility that this could be his final season, even though his current contract with the Al-Awwal Park club remains valid until 6/2027.

Ha Phuong (via ESPN)