Cristiano Ronaldo spotted asking referee to sign match ball

Ronaldo receives rapturous welcome from Al Nassr fans

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Cristiano Ronaldo asked referee Sultan Al-Harbi to sign the match ball following his four-goal haul for Al-Nassr against Al-Wehda. Al-Harbi had awarded the penalty to give the Portugal captain the chance to seal the 61st hat trick of his career after being told to consult VAR over a handball incident.

Ronaldo had been yet to find his best form in the Saudi Arabian Pro League after his December arrival with the club winning just one of the games he had been involved in. The Portugal captain had also only found the net on one occasion and that strike came from the penalty spot.

However, he truly announced his arrival with a sensational four-goal haul against Al-Wehda. The forward scored all the goals in the win claiming a major career landmark in the process with his first the 500th league strike of his career.

His first two goals in the 4-0 win over Al-Wehda came after he beat the offside trap to finish cooly. He then had the chance to finish his hat trick from the spot following the award for handball and he duly delivered, making no mistake from the penalty. The fourth was not too far behind as the 38-year-old tapped in a rebound after Al-Wehda’s keeper Abdulquddus Atiah fumbled his original attempt.

He went to retrieve the ball from the referee after the match but took an unusual approach with his 61st match ball asking Al-Harbi to sign it. As it was his first hat trick in Saudi Arabian it is likely to be a memento that he holds onto for years to come.

Ronaldo has now found the net five times in his first four Pro League matches as he starts to find his feet in the Middle East. Despite taking his time to find his best form, his teammates have still been keen to talk up his qualities including former Bayern Munich midfielder Luis Gustavo.

“His presence at Al-Nassr gives a great advantage to the group because we learn from him every day, given the great capabilities he possesses, both technically and physically,” Gustavo told RT Arabic.“Cristiano Ronaldo was created for challenges and he always succeeds in them. And everyone here is waiting for what he will present.”

Ronaldo will look to add to his goalscoring tally in Al-Nassr’s next match as the Riyadh side face Al-Taawoun a week on Friday.

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