Missile alert delays Ronaldo's Champions League match in Riyadh

Summarised from 2 outlets · 3 reports · Updated 13 Oct, 02:38 · Archive

An Al-Nassr match featuring Cristiano Ronaldo was delayed by an hour after a missile alert in Riyadh.

Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr had their Asian Champions League match against Uzbekistan's Neftchi Fergana delayed by an hour on Monday after the Saudi-led military coalition said it had intercepted a missile fired by the Houthis towards Riyadh. The match was scheduled to kick off at 9.15pm local time at Alawwal Park, but the television broadcaster announced the delay after residents received alerts on their phones warning of an aerial threat. The coalition subsequently announced the "interception and destruction" of the ballistic missile.

Despite the disruption, Ronaldo appeared unaffected and scored his 981st career goal shortly before half-time as Al-Nassr secured a 3-1 win. The Iran-backed Houthis have recently carried out multiple attacks on Saudi Arabia, including strikes on oil facilities, tankers and transport hubs, with lethal hits reported on Riyadh's international airport.

How it is being reported

• Fresh concerns over 2027 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia after missile strikes in RiyadhSituation is being monitored by global players’ union Fifpro Tournament is due to kick off in January with five venues in Riyadh Asia’s elite men’s footballers are on edge as they prepare to travel to conflict-affected Saudi Arabia for January’s Asian Cup. Multiple missile strikes by the Houthis on Riyadh’s international airport in recent days have killed more than a dozen people and wounded hundreds . Continue reading...Guardian Sport · 13 Oct, 05:51
• Ronaldo waves Saudi-flag scarf after match interrupted by missile alertPortuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo waved a scarf with the Saudi flag after Al Nassr’s victory.Al Jazeera · 13 Oct, 05:09
• Ronaldo’s Asian Champions League match delayed by missile alert in RiyadhKick-off put back by an hour after attack intercepted Portuguese forward scores in Al-Nassr’s 3-1 victory Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr saw their Asian Champions League match delayed by an hour on Monday after the Saudi-led military coalition said it had intercepted a missile fired by the Houthis towards Riyadh. Saudi Arabia has recently come under a series of attacks from the Iran-backed group, including strikes on oil facilities, tankers and transport hubs – including a string of lethal hits on Riyadh’s international airport. Continue reading...Guardian Sport · 12 Oct, 23:11

In this story: Cristiano Ronaldo · Al-Nassr · Houthis · Riyadh · Saudi Arabia · Neftchi Fergana

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