Cristiano Ronaldo’s tactical instruction went wrong, costing his team a goal during Al-Nassr’s Saudi Pro League game against Abha Club on Wednesday. During a free-kick for Abha on the wing, Al-Nassr had formed a two-man wall on the edge of the box, while others had occupied the centre of the box along with opposition players. However, upon Ronaldo’s instruction, one of the players left the wall to go into the box, leaving only a one-man wall.
Nabil Fekir – 2018 FIFA World Cup-winner with France – took advantage of the situation and curled in the free-kick around the one-man wall to score.
It was goal number 979 for the Portuguese icon, as he continues his chase to become the first player in football history to score 1,000 official goals.
This forced the lone man in the wall to readjust. Fekir pounced on the gap that had been created and scored a brilliant goal. The replay of the goal went viral on social media, with several users pointing out Ronaldo’s tactical error. Ronaldo himself opened the scoring in the first half of the match.
Fortunately for Ronaldo, the 75th-minute free-kick goal proved to be just a consolation for Abha Club, as Al-Nassr won 2-1 in the end to pick up their fifth win in six games in the 2026-27 Saudi Pro League. The 41-year-old slammed in a towering header from a corner to give his side the lead in the 22nd minute of the match.
Before the free-kick is taken, Ronaldo, who was inside the box, can be clearly seen telling one of the players in the wall to join them in the box.
