CRistiano Ronaldo is supposed to be Saudi Arabia’s modern and international ambassador, but he’s not being paid an annual salary of around £180m to produce articles that include words like ‘crotch’ and ‘genitals’. do not have.
But it’s remarkable how easy it is to embarrass the five-time Ballon d’Or winner. All you have to do is chant “Messi, Messi”. Incredibly for a player who has played in the biggest games for the biggest clubs and won just about everything, it seems to get under his skin. Ronaldo’s will to win, desire for the highest standards and work rate have so far been exemplary in Saudi Arabia, where he is the league’s top scorer and joint leader in assists. The competitiveness is deep, but so wide that he seems sensitive to any suggestion that he has a major competitor.
Last April, the Al Nasr international grabbed his groin as he left the field after a loss to Riyadh rivals Al Hilal. While this appeared to be a reaction to gleeful opposition supporters chanting the name of Argentina’s personal rival, the club denied it was actually a reaction to a groin injury sustained during the match. “This is confirmed information.” As for fans’ explanations, they are free to think whatever they want,” a club statement said.
Some thought it was a malfunction at the time, but Ronaldo escaped it. Another incident took place in early February at the Riyadh Season Cup, a prestigious friendly match against the same opponents. Same chant and this time, There was no doubt that that was frustrating for the 39-year-old. As he left the pitch at half-time, someone threw what looked like a Hilal scarf at his feet. Ronaldo stuffed it into his pants and threw it away.
Then Sunday came. It was another Riyadh derby, this time against Al-Shabaab, the third of the capital’s big clubs. Sunday’s matchup was one of the most intense ever, with an interesting back-and-forth between Ivan Rakitic and Yannick Carrasco on one side and Sadio Mane, Marcelo Brozovic and Ronaldo on the other. Al Nasr twice saw their lead wiped out in a game they needed to win to keep the pressure on leaders Hilal, when Anderson Talisca made it 3-2 with three minutes remaining. , the team gave a big shout of congratulations.
This was a great ad for the Saudi Pro League, at least until Ronaldo appeared to put one hand over his ear and the other on what was described as his “pelvis” after hearing Messi’s chant. It was. He then moved it back and forth toward the home fans. According to reports, he did the same when the final whistle sealed victory, leaving Al Nasr four points clear at the top with 10 games remaining.
Third time is the opposite of charm, with widespread criticism and demands for punishment. “The disciplinary committee is facing its greatest test,” prominent Saudi author Waleed Al Faraj said on social media. I’ll see how it goes. No matter how famous you are, everything has its limits. This is the current state of Major League Baseball. The Saudi Football Federation is investigating and former disciplinary committee chairman Ayman al-Rifai fully expects punishment. This will likely result in a suspension of several games (possibly two) and a fine. The title battle between Nasr and Hilal is also reaching its climax. This incident could have a major impact on the title fight, but it is also a big deal for the country.
Ronaldo was the first and biggest of the influx of star players such as Karim Benzema and Neymar to Saudi Arabia, signing with Al Nasr in December 2022. The club is state-owned and its players are part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030. The project specifically aims to build a sports industry to help diversify an economy that has traditionally relied on oil.
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At that time he was not just a player, but ironically, like Messi, he was also an ambassador, and so far he has been successful. Ronaldo is the most popular person across Instagram and regularly posts about his country on and off the pitch. During the Riyadh derby in December, the hotel I was staying in near the King Fahd International Stadium was packed with people from all over the world who had come to the capital just to watch him play.
These are the first truly negative headlines and it will be interesting to see what happens and how the people paying his big salary react. Despite social changes over the years, Saudi Arabia is, of course, a conservative country. The incident may be seen as an opportunity to show that even football’s biggest stars are not exempt from following cultural norms and customs. It has already generated countless headlines and the world is paying attention.
