
Cristiano Ronaldo had a night to forget during Al-Nassr slumped to a 0-2 defeat against Al-Hilal in the Riyadh Season Cup final. Ronaldo was not able to produce solid chances during the match with just one shot on target which was saved by Al-Hilal goalkeeper Yassine Bounou. The Portuguese star was also caught offside on three occasions and was shown a yellow card for kicking the ball away after a free-kick was awarded against him. Things got worse for Ronaldo as he was targeted with Lionel Messi chants from the supporters and his post-match indecent gesture has gone viral on social media.
Cristiano Ronaldo to Al Hilal Fans: “I am here… not Messi.”
Tears man he’s so Insecurepic.twitter.com/13DrhhObCZ
�” ACE (@FCB_ACEE) February 8, 2024
The match was decided by two first-half goals from Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Salem Aldawsari but the controversy surrounding Ronaldo that kept dominating the headlines after the end of the game.
In a video posted by fans on social media, Ronaldo can be seen reacting to Messi chants with a furious gesture as he shouted – “I am here now. Not Messi”.
Another video from a fan inside the stadium showed Ronaldo made an indecent gesture towards the Al-Hilal fans after the match ended. As the footballer made his way out of the pitch, some fans threw a couple of Al-Hilal scarfs at him. The video showed Ronaldo taking the scarfs and pointing towards his crotch area before throwing him away resulting in boos from the supporters.
تصرف غ�Šر اخ�„ا�‚�Š �…�† �ƒر�Šست�Šا�†�ˆ ر�ˆ�†ا�„د�ˆ�› ح�Šث �ˆضع شا�„ ا�„�‡�„ا�„ ف�Š �…�ƒا�† غ�Šر �„ائ�‚ ث�… �‚ا�… بر�…�Š�‡!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/OUBzFWKjP7
�” �†�ˆاف ا�„آس�Š�ˆ�Š(@football_ll55) February 8, 2024
Earlier, Al Nassr crushed Inter Miami 6-0 as injury ruled Cristiano Ronaldo out of a much-hyped showdown with Lionel Messi, who was limited to a late substitute appearance in the friendly in Riyadh.
Ronaldo’s calf injury prompted Al Nassr to cancel their two-game China tour last week and it denied him what could have potentially been a last match against longtime rival Messi.
The pair have won a combined 13 Ballon d’Or awards, with Messi taking home the prize for a record eighth time last year. Their most recent meeting came in January 2023 when Ronaldo played in a Saudi select team beaten 5-4 by Messi’s PSG.
Instead, Brazilian Talisca upstaged the illustrious duo with a hat-trick as the Saudi Pro League side demolished their Major League Soccer opponents, scoring three times in the first 12 minutes.
(With AFP inputs)
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