WATCH: Cristiano Ronaldo fulfills dream of Syrian boy who lost his father in earthquake
Rabih Shaheen, a boy who lost his father in the recent earthquake in Syria, saw his dream come true, as he met his hero Cristiano Ronaldo on Friday (March 3).
Ronaldo led Al-Nassr to a 3-1 win against Al-Batin at Mrsool Park in the Saudi Pro League on Friday. Just hours earlier, he had fulfilled the lifelong dream of an innocent Syrian boy.
Emirati journalist Munther Al-Muzaki came across Rabih Shaheen when he visited Syria as part of the UAE relief campaign following the devastating earthquake in the country on February 6. He then posted a video of the boy, who had just lost his father in the disaster, expressing his desire to meet Ronaldo on Twitter.
"أبي ميت بس"
كلمة قالها طفل سوري بعفويته لكنها كسرت قلوبنا .. قصة عشقه للنادي النصر السعودي وأمنيته للقاء لاعبه المفضل " #كرستيانو_رونالدو .
من يدري ربما تتحقق الأمنيات يوماً ويجبر الله خاطره.
@AlNassrFC
@Turki_alalshikh
#زلزال_سوريا https://t.co/ihC7Zi8l0v
The video spread like wildfire on social media and reached Turki Al-Sheikh, chairman of Saudi Arabia's General Authority for Entertainment. Touched by Shaheen's innocence, the Royal Court member announced his decision to fly him and his family to Riyadh.
Going by Al-Sheikh's Twitter, the boy arrived in Saudi Arabia along with his family on February 24. A video of him being taken around Riyadh was then circulated on social media.
After spending a few days in Saudi Arabia, Shaheen's dream of meeting Cristiano Ronaldo finally came true on Friday. Al-Sheikh shared a video of the heartwarming moment between the two on his social media.
Watch the video:
فرحتك فرحه لي ...حفظ الله مولاي الملك وسمو سيدي القائد الملهم ولي العهد رئيس مجلس الوزراء والشعب السعودي الكريم والشكر للنجم العالمي الكبير... 🇸🇦❤️ https://t.co/9G7ZjhJx8B
The Syrian boy can be heard saying 'I love you' as he approaches the Al-Nassr superstar. The two embraced each other before Shaheen imitated the forward's trademark 'Siu' celebration, which the player reciprocated.
Writing on Twitter, Al-Sheikh thanked the Portuguese icon for fulfilling the boy's dream. The 38-year-old responded with a heart emoji in response. Shaheen was also in attendance for Al-Nassr's win over Al-Batin at home on Friday evening. Although Cristiano Ronaldo was not on the scoresheet, the boy had the joy of watching his hero in action.
Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr continue fine form
Ronaldo scored eight goals and provided two assists in Al-Nassr's four Saudi Pro League games before the latest one. However, he did not register a goal contribution against Al-Batin.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner will nevertheless be delighted to help Al-Aalami win another game. Rudi Garcia's side have won five and drawn one of their six league games since the striker's debut.
Al-Nassr sit atop the league table with 46 points. They enjoy a two-point lead over Nuno Espirito Santos' Al-Ittihad.