Ronaldo suffers a double blow as Benzema scores a hat-trick and provides an assist in his Al Hilal debut, while a teammate betrays him by wearing an Argentina jersey.

Ronaldo, one of football's greatest stars, peaked during his time at Real Madrid. But after departing the Bernabéu, his trajectory has been downward. Forced to leave Juventus and Manchester United, he now struggles to win titles at Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League. Adding to the irony, Al Nassr was once a championship-winning and top-ranked club, yet since Ronaldo joined, they have remained trophyless. Ronaldo is eager to claim the Saudi Pro League title this season. The team signed key players like Felix and Coman this year, but during the winter transfer window, Benzema joined Al Hilal, a rival in the title race, which caused Ronaldo to protest and even threaten a strike on his 41st birthday—though it had no effect.

Ronaldo has recently faced a double setback. First, Benzema, also a former Real Madrid striker now playing as a center forward, is a versatile player who can both create and score, boosting his team's strength. In contrast, Ronaldo relies mostly on receiving crosses and penalties inside the box, which limits the team’s overall tactics. Ronaldo is well aware of Benzema’s quality, which is why he opposed Al Hilal signing his former Real Madrid teammate. Benzema truly proved to be a game-changer by scoring a hat-trick and providing an assist in his debut, fully activating Al Hilal’s two wingers with a style similar to Bayern’s Kane, whereas Ronaldo is left waiting for chances in the box. At this point, Ronaldo and Benzema represent completely different levels of impact on the field.

The second blow comes from betrayal by a teammate from Al Nassr and the Portugal national team. Felix, who recently joined Al Nassr and is Ronaldo’s club teammate this season, posted a photo on social media wearing an Argentina jersey. Since winter 2022, Ronaldo’s biggest rival has been Messi, and Felix openly displaying an Argentina shirt is a clear snub to Ronaldo. Perhaps this signals a growing rift between teammates—no need for a title fight, just one photo is enough. This silent “separation” marks their drifting apart.