Ronaldo banned

Cristiano Ronaldo, the Al Nassr superstar, has found himself in hot water after an incident during a Saudi Pro League match against Al Shabab. Fans of the rival team were taunting Ronaldo by chanting Lionel Messi’s name throughout the game. In response, Ronaldo allegedly made an obscene gesture towards the fans. The incident was not captured on television cameras but circulated online, leading to criticism and calls for sanctions. The Saudi Football Association (SAFF) has reportedly opened an investigation into the matter.

This isn’t the first time Ronaldo has faced controversy. Last year, he appeared to grab his genitals after a league game against Al Hilal, and earlier this month, he picked up an Al Hilal scarf thrown at him from the stands and then discarded it. Despite these incidents, Ronaldo continues to be a prolific scorer for Al Nassr, leading the Saudi league charts with 22 goals in 20 appearances this season.
It remains to be seen how the disciplinary committee will handle this situation, but Ronaldo’s actions have certainly sparked debate in the football world.

According to reports, the Saudi FA has imposed a penalty on Al-Nassr striker Cristiano Ronaldo for making a rude sign at supporters who were singing Lionel Messi’s name.

What happened?

Ronaldo had to endure the usual taunts of his Argentine nemesis from the rival fans on Sunday night. Al-Shabab supporters chanted Messi’s name during the Saudi Pro League match, which Ronaldo helped win with a goal in a 3-2 victory. But the Portugal ace was not satisfied with the result and reacted to the chants by making a rude sign with his hand near his groin towards the home fans. Ronaldo faced a lot of backlash and has allegedly been penalized.

Ronaldo's ban

Reports from Saudi outlets, citing the Daily Mail, say that Ronaldo has been given a two-game ban for his obscene sign, as well as a secret fine. The fine will not bother Ronaldo much, since he earns £175 million ($222m) a year, but the suspension will hurt him and his team. The Portuguese star will be out of Thursday’s league game against Al-Hazm and might also miss Al-Nassr’s AFC Champions League quarter-final match next week.

Ronaldo’s response on Sunday was unexpected, not only because players usually shrug off insults from opposing fans but because Messi chants have been frequent during his 14 months in the region. It is also not the first time Ronaldo has been criticized for a lewd sign, as he escaped sanction for clutching his groin in April 2023