Cristiano Ronaldo: Al Hilal Fans Try to Wind Up Superstar With ‘Messi’ Chants

Cristiano Ronaldo: Al Hilal Fans Try to Wind Up Superstar With ‘Messi’ Chants

Rene Otinga
updated at May 18, 2024 at 6:09 AM
In this article:
Cristiano Ronaldo logo
C. Ronaldo
Al Nassr FC logoFPortugal logo
Al Nassr FC logo
Al Nassr
Saudi Arabia
33
Al-Hilal Saudi FC logo
Al-Hilal Saudi FC
Saudi Arabia
30
Saudi Arabia Division 1 logo
KSA Division 1
Saudi Arabia
Lionel Messi logo
L.Messi
Inter Miami CF logoFArgentina logo
  • Al Hilal snatched a late goal against Al-Nassr on Friday, May 17
  • Cristiano Ronaldo got an assist but endured a frustrating game
  • The Portugal superstar was once again taunted by ‘Messi’ chants

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Cristiano Ronaldo just can’t catch a break.

The 39-year-old endured another torrid outing against Al Nassr’s fierce rivals Al-Hilal and was expectedly taunted by fans, who used his long-term rival Lionel Messi’s name to rile him up.

Cristiano Ronaldo, Al Nassr, Saudi Pro League, Miss, Lionel Messi, Chants, Rivalry.
Cristiano Ronaldo was taunted with more 'Messi' chants on Friday, May 17. Photo: Photo by Yasser Bakhsh.
Source: Getty Images

Ronaldo got off to a decent start on Friday, setting up his teammate Otávio Edmilson for his side’s opener early in the first half.

Al Nassr were on course to secure a win against the league leaders, but the game took a turn in the 10th minute of stoppage time.

According to beIN Sports, Sadio Mane was adjudged to have fouled Al-Hilal star Saud Abdulhamid in the area, and the referee pointed to the spot after a quick consultation with VAR.

Former Fulham star Aleksandar Mitrovic made no mistake from 12 yards, slotting home the crucial equaliser to maintain his team’s 12-point lead at the summit of the table.

Ronaldo taunted by Al-Hilal fans

Despite playing in his team’s home ground, Ronaldo was not safe from hostile away supporters.

A video doing rounds online shows the former Manchester United forward on his knees after a missed chance, as Al-Hilal fans chanted Messi’s name between bouts of laughter.

Moments earlier, the Portuguese superstar was guilty of missing a glorious chance after skewing a delightful cross harmlessly out of play.

Ronaldo’s wretched record vs Al-Hilal

The draw on Friday meant Ronaldo would have to wait longer to secure his first win against Al-Nassr’s arch-rivals.

Ronaldo lost three times in the four meetings against Jorge Jesus’ side and failed to score in all those matches.

What next for Ronaldo?

As he gears up to represent Portugal in the Euros, Ronaldo will continue to represent his club in the Saudi Pro League.

His next game will be against Al-Riyadh on Thursday, May 23, according to GOAL.

When Ronaldo met Messi for the first time

Sports Brief also reported on Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi’s first-ever meeting in a competitive match.

It happened back in 2008 when Ronaldo was still a Manchester United player.

The two greats met in the Champions League knockout stages, in a game in which Ronaldo missed a penalty.

Authors
Rene Otinga photo
Rene Otinga
Rene Otinga is a sports journalist with over eight years of working experience in digital media. Rene's experience includes working as a Copywriter at X News Kenya and TUKO.co.ke.