Cristiano Ronaldo’s annoyance was palpable after he was heckled by a Lionel Messi admirer during Al-Nassr’s 3-1 victory over Al-Batin on Friday.
Table-toppers Al-Nassr were largely expected to win the Saudi Professional League match against the bottom club, but they were startled when Al-Batin’s Renzo Lopez opened the scoring in the 17th minute. At halftime, the score remained 1-0.
Ronaldo was dissatisfied with his team’s first-half performance, and his annoyance was compounded when a supporter yelled at him as he walked down the tunnel. “Messi is so much better than you!” exclaimed the heckler. “It’s a simple match,” Ronaldo said. It’s a no-brainer!”
It is believed that the Portugal international was referring to Friday’s game rather than Messi, with whom he has had a long-standing feud. Since Ronaldo’s first title in 2008, the two superstars have won the Ballon d’Or 12 times between them.
For a time, it appeared that Al-Batin would achieve a historic victory at Al-Nassr’s home field, Mrsool Park. Nonetheless, three goals in extra time from Abdulrahman Ghareeb, Mohammed Al-Fatil, and Mohammed Maran secured a thrilling victory for Ronaldo’s team.
Ronaldo, who joined Al-Nassr on a free transfer in January, is the Saudi club’s captain and took to Instagram to express his happiness with their return. “Always believe until the end!” the five-time Champions League winner encouraged his 556 million followers. Vamos!”
Despite failing to score on Friday, Ronaldo’s time in Saudi Arabia is going well. In six Saudi Professional League outings, the 38-year-old had eight goals and two assists. With 13 goals, his Al-Nassr teammate Talisca leads the division.
Ronaldo was voted the league’s Player of the Month in February after a strong start to life in Saudi Arabia. The forward insisted on being “happy” with the honor. “Hopefully the first of many!” he added. “I am honored to be a member of this team.”
Al-Nassr’s win on Friday was their fourth in a row in the league. With 11 games remaining, they are still two points ahead of Al-Ittihad at the top of the league.