Behind the scenes, however, the aftermath of that celebration would soon take a far more serious turn for Al-Bulayhi, even as Ronaldo’s side walked away with another crucial victory. Cristiano Ronaldo once again found himself at the center of Saudi Pro League drama after a decisive performance against Al-Shabab, while Ali Al-Bulayhi became the subject of intense scrutiny following a provocative goal celebration involving Al-Hilal. The match carried extra tension because of Al-Nassr’s ongoing title fight with its direct rival club. Behind the scenes, however, the aftermath of that celebration would soon take a far more serious turn for Al-Bulayhi, even as Ronaldo’s side walked away with another crucial victory.
The Portuguese superstar played a key role in Al-Nassr’s 4-2 victory over Al-Shabab, scoring a second-half goal that restored control during a tense period of the match. The win helped the club extend its lead over Al-Hilal at the top of the Saudi league table.
Joao Felix stole headlines with a hat-trick, but Ronaldo’s contribution carried major weight in the title race. His finish came at a stage when Al-Shabab had begun to threaten a comeback, making the goal even more significant in context. The match took a dramatic turn when Ali Al-Bulayhi, playing against Al-Nassr while on loan at Al-Shabab, scored to bring the scoreline to 3-2.
What followed quickly became one of the most talked-about incidents of the season. After finding the net, loanee Al-Bulayhi pulled out a shin guard displaying the crest of Al-Hilal and kissed it in front of the cameras. The gesture was widely interpreted as a bold reference to his parent club, which is also locked in a fierce title race with Al-Nassr.
🔥🚨COINCIDENCIA QUE #ALBULAYHI HALLA CELEBRADO CON LA ESPINILLERA DEL ALHILAL?Una corrupción en la Liga Saudí!🤯Al-Bulayhi era jugador del #Alhilal🤯Unos días antes el Ministerio de Deportes pagó las deudas pendientes que el club @AlShababSaudiFC tenía acumuladas!#CR7𓃵7 pic.twitter.com/KtxUK63OUy— ©𝑫𝑪𝒖𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒐𓃵🇩🇴 (@DCuesto) May 8, 2026
The celebration divided opinion immediately. Some saw it as harmless loyalty to his parent club, while others viewed it as disrespectful toward Al-Shabab, the club he was representing at the time.
Al-Shabab makes strong internal decision
The situation escalated quickly after the match, with reports confirming a severe reaction from within Al-Shabab. Apparently, Ali Al-Bulayhi has now been removed from the squad following the controversy surrounding his celebration, as revealed by Shabab1World on X (formerly Twitter). The club views the incident as disrespectful toward the institution.
The removal effectively sidelines the defender from the upcoming three fixtures, against Neom, Al-Ittihad, and the Saudi Pro League final matchday, against Al-Najma. What initially looked like a bold act of defiance toward Ronaldo and Al-Nassr suddenly became a moment that could seriously damage the defender’s standing at his current club.
The reports created even more tension because Al-Bulayhi’s goal had briefly threatened to reopen the title race. Had Al-Shabab found an equalizer, Al-Hilal would have gained a massive psychological advantage heading into the upcoming derby against Al-Nassr. Instead, the Knight of Najd survived the scare and sealed the victory deep into stoppage time when Joao Felix converted a penalty to complete his hat-trick.
Ali Al-Bulayhi of team AL Shabab FC
What did Al-Bulayhi say?
Former Saudi international Fahad Al Harifi also criticised the gesture, insisting that “professionalism and respect should always come first, regardless of loan situations or previous club affiliations.”
As criticism intensified, the 36-year-old released a public apology addressing both the club and its supporters. He insisted that the celebration was spontaneous and not intended to offend anyone. “I present my apology to the historic Al-Shabab club and its loyal supporters… my expression of joy was spontaneous, without any intention of offense,” he said in a statement.