Cristiano Ronaldo was left in tears after losing the King’s Cup final with Al-Nassr with fans in Saudi Arabia taunting him by chanting Lionel Messi’s name, and Neymar couldn’t help but laugh
Cristiano Ronaldo was taunted by Lionel Messi chants and Neymar couldn’t help but laugh (Image: Twitter)
Cristiano Ronaldo is heading into Euro 2024 in search of his next trophy – but his last quest for silverware ended in tears.
Ronaldo will lead Portugal into their latest international competition having lost the King’s Cup final in Saudi Arabia in heartbreaking fashion just a few weeks ago. The former Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus superstar found himself the butt of Lionel Messi chants the defeat.
Ronaldo was on the losing team as his Al-Nassr side were defeated by Al-Hilal on penalties. Goals from Aleksandr Mitrovic seemed to have secured victory for Al-Hilal before ex-Arsenal player David Ospina was sent off.
Ali Albulayhi was also shown a red card before Ayman Yahya equalised for Al-Nassr. The drama continued late into the game when former Chelsea star Kalidou Koulibaly was also sent off.
The match then went to penalties. Ronaldo scored his penalty but Al-Nassr still lost. The loss led to an emotional reaction from the seasoned forward, who broke down in tears as his quest for silverware in Saudi Arabia continues.
Despite striking up a strong partnership with ex-Liverpool star Sadio Mane and setting a goalscoring record, they could not capitalize by winning a trophy. And with Messi taunts rubbing salt in the wounds as fans chanted the Argentinian’s name, even Neymar was unable to hide his amusement at Ronaldo’s expense.
The Brazilian’s reaction made it clear that in a moment of celebration for his team, he could not help but find the constant taunts regarding Ronaldo’s old rival amusing.
Neymar, who plays for Al-Hilal but was sidelined due to injury, was seen in the stands, laughing and filming as the chants were directed at Ronaldo. Those seated in Neymar’s box joined in, and the former PSG superstar looked delighted.
Cristiano Ronaldo broke down in tears after Al-Nassr’s Cup final defeat (Image: Twitter)
Ronaldo and Messi’s rivalry dates back to their time in Spain with Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively, with the latter teammates with Neymar for a number of years at the Nou Camp.
Recently, Ronaldo’s ex-Manchester United teammate Wayne Rooney recently stated that he believes Messi is the superior player of the two. Rooney declared on The Overlap: “I think Messi, I think he’s just the best ever,” He acknowledges the rivalry, saying, “I get a lot of stick for saying Messi where it’s as if, ‘How can you say Messi, it’s Ronaldo.’ I understand that people can say Messi, people can say Ronaldo.
“They are both incredible, probably the best two players to ever play the game. For me, Messi has just got that little bit more extra flair, which I like in a player, so that’s the reason.”
Ronaldo is setting his sights on international glory after coming close with his club side. With Portugal gearing up for the Euros in Germany, Ronaldo is tipped to be a key figure for his national team once again. Portugal, who triumphed in the 2016 tournament, will face off against the Czech Republic, Turkey and Georgia in their group.
Meanwhile, Ronaldo has candidly expressed that not even a World Cup victory could settle the score between him and Messi, stating after Argentina’s World Cup win: “Even if I win the World Cup that will continue.
“Some people like me more, some less. It’s like in life, some like blondes, some like brunettes.
“I have always had to show what I can do year after year. I would love to win this tournament. I’m ambitious but if you tell me I won’t win any more tournaments I would still be happy given all I have won. In the history books all other records will be there. But obviously, a World Cup on the shelf wouldn’t be bad. It would be a dream.”