Published 12:55 IST, February 9th 2024
Ronaldo's utter fury captured on camera during and after Al-Nassr's devastating defeat to Al-Hilal
Cristiano Ronaldo's intense frustration is documented during and after Al-Nassr's loss to Al-Hilal in the Riyadh Season Cup final.
Al-Hilal defeated Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr 2-0 in a friendly match. Goals were scored by Salem Aldawsari in the thirty-minute mark and Sergej Milinković-Savić in the seventeenth. Despite having less possession, Al-Hilal prevailed because six of their ten tries were on target and they were successful in stopping Al Nassr from scoring. Al-Hilal continued to scare Ronaldo and his team by playing outstanding defence and offensively to highlight their superiority in the match to clinch the friendly cup, Riyadh Season Cup.
Cristiano Ronaldo was fuming after losing to Al Hilal
As tensions between the supporters of the two dominant football teams intensified during the Riyadh Season Cup final between Al Nassr and Al Hilal, Cristiano Ronaldo found himself in the spotlight.
As one of the greatest football players of all time, Ronaldo was subjected to taunts by Al Hilal supporters who vociferously yelled "Messi, Messi" after Al Nassr's loss. After Ronaldo lost an important opportunity in the first half of the game, the taunting became more intense.
Ronaldo tried to remain composed in the face of the jeers, making his signature calm gestures. But when the jeering continued, things got really serious. A fan tossed an Al Hilal scarf at Ronaldo as he was walking into the tunnel, causing the Portuguese star to become visibly upset and point to his crotch before throwing the shawl away.
Ronaldo was the centre of attention for much of the game because he had a nasty incident with an Al Hilal player that left him grabbing his groyne. The heightened scrutiny around the football superstar was further highlighted when Al Nassr gave an update on Ronaldo's injury status after the game. Al Nassr, in a statement, said:
“Ronaldo suffers from an injury. His challenge with Gustavo Cuellar, the Al-Hilal player, started with a blow in a very sensitive area. This is confirmed information. As for the fans’ explanations, they are free to think whatever they want.”
Ronaldo was frustrated throughout the evening, as evidenced by a sequence of occurrences on and off the pitch. Ronaldo drew a caution in the 53rd minute of the second half for violently sending the ball into the crowd in response to a foul against his team. Ronaldo's frustrations remained long after the game had ended. According to reports, the 39-year-old became extremely enraged when an on-field official stopped his route as he went to escort his team to collect their runner-up medals.
Updated 12:55 IST, February 9th 2024