Cristiano Ronaldo surprised fans on Wednesday during Al Nassr’s dominant 5-0 victory over Al Najma in the Saudi Pro League, with a notable change to his signature goal celebration.
The Portuguese star scored from the penalty spot before the 10th minute, bringing his season league total to 21 goals and marking the 965th goal of his illustrious career.
As he ran towards the corner flag, the stadium anticipated his customary jump with a twist and shout of ‘Siu!’ – a personal trademark he’s displayed at Real Madrid, Manchester United, Juventus, and now in Saudi Arabia. But this time, the familiar ritual didn’t happen.
Instead, he raised his hand, gave a slight bounce, and mimicked a basketball jump shot. The brief but expressive gesture caught fans off guard and quickly went viral on social media. And the celebration came with context.
The new celebration surfaced days after comments from his compatriot Ruben Neves, currently a midfielder for Al Hilal, who questioned officiating decisions in the league, particularly those seemingly favoring CR7’s team and involving handball calls in the penalty area.
“The Saudi league is particularly competitive, but we need everyone to be at the same level – referring to the referees – as what you notice in some games is completely different than others and we all wish to play the same game. I see players who almost play basketball and volleyball in the areas, and the referees go to the screen and don’t give a penalty,” Neves said.
“I think we must protect this league because It’s one of the few where four teams are still fighting for the title, and we are almost in March,” he added.
Ronaldo’s gesture appeared to be an indirect response, or at least a symbolic reference, to those words. Without further statements from the forward, the interpretation remains open, though the message was clear. The win keeps Al Nassr firmly in contention for the league title.
With this result, Al Nassr moved into the top spot in the Saudi Pro League with 58 points, holding a two-point advantage over Al Ahli. Al Hilal (55) and Al Qadisiya (53) remain close behind in the title race.
The new and ‘spicy’ celebration of Cristiano Ronaldo
#Fútbol2Day – 🇸🇦
Cristiano Ronaldo scored in Al-Nassr’s 0-5 win over Al-Nahima, bringing his career total to 965 goals. 35 away from 1000.
— Luis Omar Tapia (@LuisOmarTapia) February 25, 2026
