Cristiano Ronaldo‘s arrival at Al-Nassr has sparked a significant shift in Saudi Arabian football, drawing attention to the Saudi Pro League as other top players have followed suit. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has showcased his remarkable goal-scoring prowess on the pitch. Nonetheless, Ronaldo remains unsettled by the presence of his long-standing rival, Lionel Messi, whose shadow has loomed over him in European football for more than a decade.

🚨🗣️ Al-Ahli fans Started chanting “Messi, Messi” after Ronaldo being angry at Referee. 😭😭😭

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Lionel Messi’s Influence is Insane 🐐pic.twitter.com/c9do2iFv4C

— ACE (fan) (@FCB_ACEE) March 15, 2024

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Despite now playing in separate continents, Cristiano Ronaldo still finds himself haunted by the aura of Lionel Messi. Opposing fans have frequently taunted the Al-Nassr star with ‘Messi-Messi’ chants, causing frustration for the 39-year-old on numerous occasions. This scenario unfolded once more during a match against Al-Ahli Saudi in the SPL. While Ronaldo managed to score a penalty, securing a 1-0 victory for his team, he found himself subjected to Messi chants from the home fans when he expressed dissent towards one of the referee’s decisions.

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Recent;y, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner also faced a one-match suspension for his offensive response to opposition fans who taunted him with Messi chants. In the midst of Al-Nassr’s 3-2 victory over Al-Shabab, Ronaldo became visibly frustrated when the opposing fans chanted Messi’s name, prompting him to make an offensive gesture towards them.

In the clash against Al-Ahli, Ronaldo showcased his skill by converting a penalty in the 68th minute, sending the ball into the bottom left corner and securing three crucial points for his team. Despite the victory, Al-Nassr still trailed table-toppers Al-Hilal by nine points, with the latter also having one additional game in hand.

In the Asian Champions League quarterfinals, Al-Nassr faced elimination after a 1-0 first-leg defeat against Al-Ain from the United Arab Emirates. However, they showed resilience by winning the return match 4-3 in Riyadh. Despite their efforts, they lost the subsequent penalty shootout 3-1. Notably, Ronaldo was the sole home player to find the net during the shootout.

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