“I’m Cristiano, not Messi” - Cristiano Ronaldo reacts furiously as Al-Hilal fans aim Lionel Messi chant at him during Al-Nassr loss
Cristiano Ronaldo was seen reacting furiously during Al Nassr's clash against Al Hilal, whose fans chanted Lionel Messi's name on Thursday, February 8.
Ronaldo returned to action after recovering from a calf injury in the Riyadh Season Cup clash against Al Hilal at the Kingdom Arena on Thursday. However, it was far from an ideal night for Al Nassr as they lost 2-0. Sergej Milinkovi-Savic (17') and Salem Aldawsari (30') scored for Al Hilal as they lifted the Riyadh Season Cup trophy.
Cristiano Ronaldo's frustrations were on full display in the game, especially when Al Hilal fans chanted his rival Lionel Messi's name at him. The Portuguese legend was seen responding to the fans, saying (via Marca):
"I'm Cristiano, not Messi."
The 39-year-old forward also had an angry reaction when a worker got in the way as Al Nassr passed through Al Hilal's guard of honor after the game. Moreover, he was seen rubbing Al Hilal's jersey, which a fan threw at him in the tunnel, on his private parts before throwing it back.
It was certainly a frustrating game for Cristiano Ronaldo, who missed two big chances as Al Nassr fell to a defeat. They came into the game on the back of a 6-0 hammering of Lionel Messi's Inter Miami but failed to replicate their form against Al Hilal.
Ronaldo hadn't featured against the Herons due to an injury while Messi also came on for the last few minutes against Al Nassr.
Kai Havertz picks Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo's traits in his dream footballer
Arsenal midfielder Kai Havertz was recently asked to build his dream footballer, choosing a current star for four different attributes. He picked Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappe for the same.
In an interview with GOAL, Havertz was asked:
"Left foot?"
He replied:
"Messi"
When asked:
"Right foot?"
Havertz said:
"Cristiano"
The German picked Mbappe for both speed and skills.
Ronaldo and Messi are widely regarded as two of the greatest footballers of all time. They dominated the sport for around 15 years, winning 13 Ballons d'Or between them, with the Argentine winning eight.
Meanwhile, Mbappe is touted by many as the next big superstar. The Frenchman currently plays for Paris Saint-Germain but has been linked with a departure in the summer when his contract expires.