Portugal star forward Cristiano Ronaldo.
Credit: Reuters Photo
Saudi Pro League's Al Nassr vs Al Shabab football match will yet again be remembered for the untoward kind incident involving Al Nassr's forward Cristiano Ronaldo, who could not resist taunting the opposite team through actions after the final whistle.
The Portugal forward opened the scoring with a 21st-minute penalty, but Al Nassr needed a late goal from Brazilian Talisca, who struck twice, to settle the game with four minutes left
After the game, videos shared on social media post match showed Ronaldo cupping his ear before repeatedly pumping his hand forward in front of his pelvic area— an action which appeared to be directed at the rival Al Shabab supporters.
This is not the first time that the Portugal forward made headlines for his uncalled actions and taunts on the field.
Another incident got Ronaldo warnings from the cops in 2022. The Manchester United forward was cautioned by police after he smashed a phone out of a 14-year-old boy’s hand. Ronaldo's action, again in a fit of rage was the result of his team's 0-1 Premier League defeat to Everton in April 2022. Later, the mother of the boy whose phone was smashed told Daily Mail that her son is autistic.
Wayne Rooney and Ronaldo were at the heart of Manchester United’s attack during their peak years from 2006 to 2009. The duo raised various trophies for the club side by side, however, a controversial wink by Ronaldo in the context of Rooney's being sent out of the field is still remembered by many football fans.
The aforementioned incident is from 2006 when England and Portugal locked horns in the quarterfinals of the tournament. Midway through the match, Rooney was shown a red card following a clash with Ricardo Carvalho. Ronaldo allegedly seemed to have convinced referee Horacio Elizendo to dismiss Rooney, who was then Ronaldo's colleague at Old Trafford. Immediately after Rooney was sent off, Ronaldo was seen winking at Portugal's bench in a provocative manner that caused outrage across England.
Ronaldo's short temper was also evident during the 0-1 loss that Al Nassr suffered against Al Ittihad last year, followed by which the massive stadium roared with chants of Messi. An irked Ronaldo was seen ripping the arm band and throwing it on the field as he walked towards the exit, where he was seen kicking the water bottles lying on the ground.
Ronaldo taunting Iceland is another incident which portrayed him in poor light. “Iceland didn’t try anything”— Ronaldo said about Iceland's debut match as it became the smallest country to qualify for the European Championship 2016. The game ended in a 1-1 draw with Iceland frustrating the Portuguese with their defensive play.
“They (Iceland) were just defend, defend, defend and playing on the counterattack. It was a lucky night for them. We should have three points but we are OK. I thought they’d won the Euros the way they celebrated at the end. It was unbelievable. When they don’t try to play and just defend, defend, defend, this in my opinion shows a small mentality and they are not going to do anything in the competition,” Ronaldo was quoted by The Guardian as saying. The Portugal star forward apparently had also marched towards the referee when the latter blew the final whistle.