Striker Cristiano Ronaldo threw the runner-up medal into the stands during the award ceremony after Al Nassr lost 2-0 to Al Hilal in the final of the Riyadh Cup friendly tournament.
After the match at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh on February 8, on the podium, Al Hilal striker Aleksandar Mitrovic received the trophy, while the team’s midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic won the Player of the Tournament award.
Ronaldo was furious when he witnessed the scene. He called his teammates into the tunnel to the locker room. Along the way, the Portugal striker was frustrated, removed his silver medal, and threw it into the stands.
Ronaldo had a similar reaction after joining Al Nassr in a 2-1 win over Al Hilal in the Arab Club Champions Cup final in August 2023. The Portugal striker scored twice but lost the Player of the Match award to Milinkovic-Savic.
Witnessing his opponent receiving this award, Ronaldo told a member of the organising committee something, then raised two fingers to imply he scored twice. After hearing the member’s reply, Ronaldo smiled disapprovingly. Afterwards, the 39-year-old striker laughed and joked before accepting the cup.
During the final of the Riyadh Cup friendly tournament, Ronaldo had another series of controversial reactions. During the match, the 39-year-old forward received a yellow card from female referee Tori Penso for kicking the ball into the stands. He also responded to Al Hilal fans by repeatedly chanting Lionel Messi’s name by facing the stands, making hand gestures, calling for calm, and saying, “I am Cristiano, not Messi.”.
At the end of the match, Ronaldo led the Al Nassr members to the podium. The former Manchester United and Real Madrid striker appeared exasperated at an employee standing in the way, brandishing his arms and muttering something in his mouth.
While entering the tunnel, Ronaldo was hit by some fans who threw an Al Hilal scarf at him. The former Manchester United and Real Madrid striker bent down to pick up a towel, tucked it into the crotch of his pants, and threw it to his right.
In this match, Al Hilal won easily 2–0 thanks to Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Salem Aldawsari. Ronaldo returned to action after two weeks out of injury and did not leave much of an impression.
After completing the Riyadh Cup friendly tournament, Ronaldo and his teammates will start the second leg of the season with a match against Al Feiha in the first leg of the 1/8th round of the AFC Champions League today, February 14.
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