Cristiano Ronaldo Defiant After 'Lionel Messi' Chants During Riyadh Season Cup Final

Cristiano Ronaldo Defiant After 'Lionel Messi' Chants During Riyadh Season Cup Final

Martin Moses
updated at February 13, 2024 at 11:54 AM
In this article:
Cristiano Ronaldo logo
C. Ronaldo
Al Nassr FC logoFPortugal logo
Lionel Messi logo
L.Messi
Inter Miami CF logoFArgentina logo
Al-Hilal Saudi FC logo
Al-Hilal Saudi FC
Saudi Arabia
30
Al Nassr FC logo
Al Nassr
Saudi Arabia
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  • Al-Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo has spoken for the first time since the Al-Hilal match
  • The veteran was subjected to 'Lionel Messi' chants before being booked for dissent
  • His side lost the game to their rivals ahead of return to competitive footy this week

Al-Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo has shared a defiant message on Instagram after having an eventful match against Al-Hilal in the Riyadh Season Cup final.

His team suffered a 2-0 defeat to their Saudi Pro League rivals at the Kingdom Arena on February 8, much to the Portuguese icon's clear frustration.

Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Al-Nassr, Al-Hilal
Cristiano Ronaldo complains to the referee during Al-Hilal's game against Al-Nassr on February 4. Photo by Fayez Nureldine.
Source: Getty Images

Al-Hilal scored two first-half goals through Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Salem Al-Dawsari to get the better of the star's side for the second time this season.

The game was marked by some controversial moments, with Ronaldo responding to a section of the fans chanting the name of his arch-rival, Lionel Messi.

The 39-year-old appeared visibly furious before seemingly shouting:

"I am here, not Messi."

He was also booked by referee, Tori Penso, for booting the ball into the crowd and appeared to signal for the official to be sent off after his admonishing.

Ronaldo and Messi were set to meet on February 19 for a friendly game in Riyadh, but injuries saw the former miss out on the game entirely.

The Argentine was only introduced in the 84th minute in a game where Al-Nassr beat Inter Miami 6-0.

After the Al-Hilal game, Ronaldo went back to training, sharing a message on Instagram about his plans after the Riyadh Season Cup setback.

"Focused on the job ahead!"

The Faris Najd are set to return to competitive action this week when they play Al Feiha in the AFC Champions League play-offs.

They then play Al Fateh in the Saudi Pro League next week, where they are currently in second with 46 points, seven points behind Al-Hilal.

Ronaldo calls for referee to be sent home

Sports Brief also reported that Ronaldo appeared to want the referee removed after Penso booked the five-time Ballon d'Or winner for dissent.

A visibly agitated Al-Nassr superstar made a rather dismissive gesture to the female official as he struggled to assert his dominance in the match.

Authors
Martin Moses photo
Martin Moses
Martin Moses is a sports journalist with over five years of experience in media. He graduated from Multimedia University of Kenya (Bachelor of Journalism, 2017-2021)