With Cristiano Ronaldo Expected to Start, Saudi Minister Drops Bold Prophecy for Al Nassr vs. Al Hilal Faceoff

The final game of the Riyadh Season Cup is just hours away. Although Lionel Messi and Inter Miami haven’t made it, there is a piece of news that has left fans visibly excited. Cristiano Ronaldo will likely return for Al Nassr and mark his first appearance in the tournament. The Portuguese superstar enjoys great fanfare in the country with a Saudi minister even saying, “He’s a role model to a lot of kids“. Now, as fans await CR7’s return, another minister has made a massive prediction before the Riyadh derby.

Turki Alalshikh, who is Chairman of General Authority for Entertainment, has given his verdict on who will emerge victorious. He said (translated via DeepL), “Wishes are known today, but my prediction is that the trophy will go to Al Nassr.” In the last 5 meetings against Al Hilal, Al Nassr has emerged victorious only once. Hence, it seems everyone is counting on Cristiano Ronaldo to make the key difference. However, the Portuguese veteran will be returning from a calf injury and might not be fully match-fit.

It was only recently that Luis Castro confirmed Ronaldo’s availability for the anticipated encounter. The injury he suffered in January forced Al Nassr to cancel their China tour. Moreover, it also ruled him out for the ‘Last Dance’ against Messi. However, recent reports have confirmed that the 39-year-old was in training this week and even passed all the fitness tests.

This is undoubtedly a big boost for Al Nassr, who will definitely benefit from having the leading goalscorer in Saudi on the teamsheet. His mentality alone could make a difference and this could be the reason why Turki Alalshikh is rooting for Al Nassr. Interestingly, this is not the first time the minister has been in the news regarding Al Nassr.

‘Talk is old’, Cristiano Ronaldo-fan Turki Alalshikh previously dismissed being an Al Nassr supporter!

Recently, reports emerged that Turki Alalshikh supports the Knights of Najd. He was quick to clarify the same, by saying, “I supported Al-Nasr for a week, but this talk is old, maybe 2012.” While it is not known yet what club he currently supports, it is evident that he is a CR7 fan.

Read More: Saudi Chief on Lionel Messi Getting Benched: “He was Afraid of Losing Against Al Nassr Without Cristiano Ronaldo”

In July 2022, the Portuguese icon was having a troubled time at Manchester United. At that time, the minister had posted a tweet saying, “Cristiano must save face and end a major contract soon.” Just like magic, in a few months, CR7 joined Al Nassr and became the face of the Roshn Saudi League.

Furthermore, he also gave his opinion that CR7’s transfer from Real Madrid was the beginning of all his mistakes. Judging by his tweet, it seems likely that the minister is quite fond of the Portuguese captain.

Who do you think will win the Riyadh Season Cup? Tell us in the comments below.

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