Cristiano Ronaldo Signals for Female Referee to Be Sent Off as Al Nassr Lose to Al Hilal: Video

• Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr have lost their first game of 2024
• The Saudi league side stumbled to a 2-0 defeat against Al-Hilal
• Ronaldo appeared to show his frustration at the centre referee

Cristiano Ronaldo's much-anticipated return to the field didn't unfold as expected, as his first appearance in 2024 resulted in a disappointing loss for Al-Nassr in the Riyadh Season Cup.

Ronaldo, who lasted the entire match, witnessed his Knights of Najd team succumb to their local rivals for the second time this season, with Al-Hilal prevailing 2-0 at the Kingdom Arena.

His presence did little to inspire his team, with the Portuguese veteran appearing rusty due to the Saudi Pro League hiatus and his recent injury.

Ronaldo had missed Al-Nassr's opening fixture of the year against Lionel Messi's Inter Miami, a match which the Saudi league giants won 6-0.

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Ronaldo fails to glitter as Al-Nassr lose

The 39-year-old's return to the starting lineup failed to ignite inspiration, with former SS Lazio midfielder, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, breaking the game's deadlock for Al-Hilal after just 17 minutes, Arab News reports.

Matters worsened for Al-Nassr as Salem Al Dawsari doubled the lead for the Blue Waves by the half-hour mark.

Attempting to alter the match's trajectory, coach Luis Castro made half-time substitutions, introducing Senegalese international, Sadio Mane, and Saudi defender, Ali Lajami.

Despite gaining more possession, Al-Nassr managed just one shot on target, while the Saudi Pro League leaders effectively thwarted Ronaldo and his teammates to claim the win.

Ronaldo calls for referee to be 'sent home'

According to Yard Breaker, as the game unfolded, Ronaldo - the world's top scorer in 2023 - found it challenging to assert his dominance on the game.

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Frustrated by the team's downturn and likely his own performance, he seemed to vent his displeasure at centre referee, Tori Penso, an esteemed American official.

Penso issued a yellow card to Ronaldo for dissent after he expressed dissatisfaction with a decision, appearing to gesture for the referee to be sent off.

The Undertaker appears at Riyadh Season Cup

The Riyadh Season Cup final between Al Hilal and Al-Nassr had an unexpected guest, much to the delight of fans, as Sports Brief has also reported.

A video shared on social media showcased the arrival of WWE legend, The Undertaker, dressed in his iconic attire of a long coat and wide-brim hat.

The Phenom's dramatic entrance, complete with his signature theme song, took fans by surprise and added an exciting twist to the event.