By SCM International Desk I Sunday, Sept 06, 2026
CRISTIANO RONALDO was left biting the dust in Jeddah as teenage sensation George Ilenikhena upstaged a pitch packed with global superstars to earn Al-Ittihad a dramatic 2-1 Saudi Pro League triumph.
In a high-octane encounter brimming with Premier League and European royalty, it was 20-year-old forward Ilenikhena who stole the show from the iconic five-time Ballon d’Or winner, bagging a lethal first-half brace that sent the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium into raptures.
Ronaldo, leading an star-studded Al-Nassr line-up featuring João Félix, Sadio Mané, and Kingsley Coman, attempted to set the tempo immediately.
Inside the opening two minutes, the Portuguese icon unleashed a trademark, dipping strike from distance, only to be smartly gathered by Al-Ittihad’s Serbian shot-stopper Predrag Rajković.
However, before Ange Postecoglou’s visitors could settle, Al-Ittihad struck with brutal precision. In the fourth minute, ex-Tottenham winger Steven Bergwijn was initially denied by Nawaf Al-Aqidi, but Ilenikhena reacted quickest to plant a bullet header into the bottom-left corner to break the deadlock.
Al-Nassr pushed for a quick response, yet Al-Ittihad’s relentless pressure caught them cold again in the 22nd minute. Algerian playmaker Houssem Aouar caroused through midfield and sliced open the defense with a inch-perfect through-ball. Ilenikhena kept his cool, gliding onto the pass before slotting a composure-laden left-footed finish into the bottom-right corner to double the host’s lead.
Despite falling behind, Al-Nassr’s array of attacking talent began to turn the screw. Ronaldo brilliantly released former Chelsea and Barcelona attacker João Félix in the 34th minute, though Rajković once again got the better of the duel. The visitors finally found a lifeline in the 36th minute when young Brazilian winger Ângelo Gabriel latched onto a ball in the box and swept a sweet left-footed strike home to make it 2-1.
The second half turned into a relentless onslaught by Al-Nassr, turning Rajković into the ultimate hero of the night. Félix tested him from a acute angle in the 53rd minute, before Ronaldo spurned a massive opportunity five minutes later, volleying a low left-footed effort from inside the box straight into the Serbian keeper’s grateful arms.
Rajković produced further acrobatics to keep out a Samu Costa header, while defensive leader Danilo Pereira repelled wave after wave of attack. Al-Ittihad boss Jens Wissing threw on Moroccan international Youssef En-Nesyri and Marwan Al-Sahafi to offer counter-attacking outlets, but the closing stages were all about Al-Nassr’s desperation.
In six agonizing minutes of injury time, Sadio Mané forced another top-class save from Rajković, before late substitute Abdullah Al-Hamdan saw his strike blocked on the line.
When the final whistle blew, the statistics told the story of an absolute battle.
Al-Nassr commanded 63 percent of the possession and racked up 16 shots, putting six on target. Yet Al-Ittihad’s stubborn defense stood firm, converting two of their eight total shots into goals while matching Al-Nassr’s discipline in a contest that saw eight yellow cards dished out.
The 2-1 victory hands Al-Nassr their first defeat of the campaign, leaving Ronaldo and his galácticos frustrated while Ilenikhena and Al-Ittihad celebrate a monumental night in Jeddah.
