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.
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.
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)
