The correspondence confrontation between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi will probably never end.
Even though the players now play on different continents and can only meet each other in friendly matches between Al-Nasr and Inter Miami, fans continue to provoke them.
And the Portuguese, who turned 39 on February 5, still reacts emotionally when the Argentine’s name is heard from the stands.
Thus, the away match of the 21st round of the Saudi Arabian championship with Al-Shabab did not foretell anything scandalous.
Al-Nasr won 3-2, with Cristiano scoring from the penalty spot in the 21st minute.
However, at the end of the meeting, Ronaldo heard the home fans chanting “Messi!
Messi!
First, he pointedly put his left palm to his ear, then crouched down and waved his right hand at his groin, looking at the audience.
It should be noted that this is not the first time the striker has behaved badly in Saudi Arabia.
In April 2023, after a meeting with Al-Hilal, fans also remembered the name of the famous Argentinean.
Then the football player acted in a similar way, with the only difference that it was not done so deliberately.
At that moment, Cristiano was near the stands, and the club even said that he was simply touching the place injured in the game and did not want to offend anyone.
Another incident occurred this season.
Moreover, quite recently, after the match with the same Al-Hilal.
At the end of the game, as Ronaldo was leaving the field, opposing fans threw two scarves from their team at his feet.
The Portuguese picked one up, stuck it in his shorts and imitated a wiping motion for a few seconds before throwing the club symbol onto the floor.
In two cases, the forward went unpunished, but the local disciplinary committee paid attention to the gesture after the confrontation with Al-Shabab and arranged a trial, inviting Cristiano to a meeting.
The footballer in it said that he respects all the clubs in the league, and the movement in the footage expresses “strength and victory.”
According to the Portuguese, there is nothing shameful about him.
However, the striker was disqualified for one match.
Moreover, the punishment was also softened: Cristiano could be sent to the stands for two games.
In addition, the Portuguese was fined $6 thousand. Ronaldo must also pay Al-Shabaab $5.3 thousand.
However, the forward took the incident calmly, posting on social networks on the same day a photo from the gym with the caption: “I can’t stop.”
This desire to always be in shape and the love for football clearly appealed to Al Nasr fans.
At the match with Al-Hazem, they supported Cristiano, who was following the events on the field from the VIP box due to disqualification.
They hung a banner in honor of the 39-year-old Portuguese: “CR7 is the world’s top scorer.”
In addition, fans chanted Ronaldo's name in the 7th minute of the game.
The forward waved to the audience and thanked them with gestures.
But the story didn't end there.
On Monday, in the first meeting of the 1/4 finals of the Asian Champions League, Al-Nassr lost 0:1 to Al Ain, and Cristiano broke his goal streak of nine matches.
And the opposing fans again decided to tease the Portuguese, starting to shout “Messi!”
Messi!
This time the forward restrained himself.
Heading through the tunnel into the tribune room, Ronaldo just said to the fans: “See you in Riyadh.”
A smile flashed across the player's face and he was helped into the dressing room before the situation got out of control.
The rivalry with Messi can also be seen in the statements of the Portuguese himself.
According to former Chelsea player Frank Leboeuf, Ronaldo equates Ligue 1 to the Saudi Arabian Championship, since the Argentine played there.
“It annoys me when Cristiano says that the Saudi Premier League is better than Ligue 1. Why do you think he decided to speak like that about the French championship and not about the Primeira Liga?
Because Lionel Messi played in Ligue 1.
I have a lot of respect for him as a player, but don't talk too much!
This is unfair to Ligue 1,” Leboeuf said in an interview with BetVictor.
In addition, according to the footballer, Cristiano’s time has already passed, and he is only preventing his team from winning trophies.
“In my opinion, Portugal really is one of the contenders to win the European Championship this summer.
I really believe they can win the Euro, but only without Cristiano in the squad.
What Ronaldo has done for football cannot be taken away just because he is retiring from the Saudi league.
I want to thank him for taking this sport to the next level, but no one lasts forever.
He has every right to play in Saudi Arabia, although I’m not sure he needs any more money!”
Leboeuf noted.
Surely Cristiano himself understands everything.
Otherwise, the footballer’s wife Georgina Rodriguez would hardly have said during Paris Fashion Week that he plans to play for another year or two.
However, it is unlikely that Ronaldo will change his attitude towards his opponent during this time.