Aussie stars put on a show in Champions League

Cristiano Ronaldo displayed unwavering national pride after a missile alert forced a one-hour delay to the start of Al-Nassr's Asian Champions League match in Riyadh. The Portuguese superstar draped a scarf emblazoned with the Saudi flag around his shoulders, joining his teammates in applauding the home crowd. Earlier, Ronaldo had kissed the Saudi national emblem on his shirt.

The match, held at Al-Awwal Park, saw Al-Nassr defeat Uzbekistan's Neftchi Fergana 3-1. Ronaldo made history with a goal in the 42nd minute, bringing his career tally to 981 goals, just 19 shy of the 1,000 mark.

Before the game, Saudi Arabia's Civil Defence issued a warning about 15 minutes before the scheduled start time following a missile alert. Players remained in the dressing rooms while spectators stayed seated until the danger had passed.

The Saudi-led coalition claimed they had intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile fired towards Riyadh. Al-Nassr shared a quote from Ronaldo's June 2025 interview with the club, where the star athlete said, "I'm Portuguese, but I belong to Saudi Arabia." The 41-year-old's contract with the club extends until 2027.

Meanwhile, Houthi attacks on King Khalid International Airport left 14 people dead on Saturday, with 300 injured. A subsequent weekend attack took one life and injured 11. The airport remains closed, and Saudi officials are investigating how missiles and drones breached the kingdom's defenses. The region is experiencing renewed fighting after a Saudi-backed offensive against the Iran-aligned Houthis earlier this month.