Cristiano Ronaldo and other footballers have shown support for Saudi Arabia as deadly Houthi attacks disrupt life in Riyadh, forcing its airport to close and delaying an Asian Champions League match amid renewed fighting in Yemen.
Cristiano Ronaldo waved a scarf bearing the Saudi flag after Al-Nassr’s Asian Champions League victory on Monday, following a missile alert that delayed kick-off by an hour in Riyadh.
Al-Nassr beat Uzbekistan’s Neftchi Fergana 3-1 in the AFC Champions League Elite at Al-Awwal Park.
Ronaldo draped the scarf around his shoulders as he joined his teammates to applaud supporters. Before the game, he had also kissed the Saudi national emblem on his shirt.
Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defence issued its warning about 15 minutes before the scheduled start. Players waited in dressing rooms while spectators remained seated.
The Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen’s Houthis said it intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile fired towards the capital. Civil Defence later announced that the danger had passed.
Al-Nassr later shared a quote on its Arabic X account from Ronaldo’s June 2025 interview with the club: “I’m Portuguese, but I belong to Saudi Arabia.”
He made the comments after extending his contract until 2027, having joined Al-Nassr in January 2023.
The 41-year-old’s goal in the 42nd minute on Monday took his career tally to 981, leaving him 19 short of 1,000.
Angelo Gabriel had opened the scoring before Alisher Odilov pulled one back for Neftchi in the second half. The visitors later had a player sent off and conceded an own goal.
The victory was Al-Nassr’s first of the campaign after a 4-0 defeat by Al-Ain in their opening game.
Deadly attacks on Riyadh airport
Houthi attacks on King Khalid International Airport killed 14 people over the weekend Thirteen died following Saturday’s strike, which injured more than 300 people, and a further attack on Sunday killed one person and wounded 11
The airport remains closed. Saudi officials told the Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity, that an investigation was examining how missiles and drones breached the kingdom’s air defences.
Yemen has seen renewed fighting after four years of relative calm. Forces allied to its internationally recognised government launched a Saudi-backed offensive against the Iran-aligned Houthis earlier this month.
Al-Ahli Saudi FC defender Merih Demiral also offered condolences at a press conference on Sunday. The Turkey international described Saudi Arabia as his second home.
“My thoughts, prayers and heart are with them,” he said.
Source: www.euronews.com
