Cristiano Ronaldo Reacts to ‘Messi’ Chants: Al-Nassr’s Struggle in the SPL 2024; Racist Chants Against Vinicius
Cristiano Ronaldo, the football sensation who ignited a revolution in Saudi Arabia upon joining Al-Nassr, continues to face taunts from opposition fans chanting ‘Messi’ – a lingering reminder of his rivalry with Lionel Messi.
Ronaldo, 39, has been frustrated on numerous times by the opposition fans’ constant taunting of him with chants of “Messi,” and it happened again.
Since moving to Al-Nassr, Cristiano Ronaldo has revolutionized football in Saudi Arabia. The Saudi Pro League received a lot of interest as the five-time Ballon d’Or winner followed in the footsteps of several other famous football players. On the field, the Portuguese sensation has been playing well thanks to his amazing goal-scoring prowess. He has been plagued by Lionel Messi, his arch-enemy in European football for more than ten years, though.
Even if the two legendary football players are now on different continents, Ronaldo is still plagued by the Messi aura. ‘Messi-Messi‘ chants from the opposing fans have frequently been observed insulting the Al-Nassr star, which has repeatedly frustrated the 39-year-old. When Ronaldo played in the SPL encounter against Al-Ahli Saudi, it did occur once again.
The Al Nassr captain gave his team a 1-0 victory with a penalty kick, but when he voiced his disapproval of a referee’s call during the game, the home crowd taunted him with Messi chants.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner was recently given a one-match suspension for making an aggressive gesture toward rival supporters who were heckling him with Messi chants. Ronaldo became irritated with the Al-Shabab supporters during Al-Nassr’s 3-2 victory and made an aggressive gesture at them.
But in the match against Al-Ahli, Ronaldo scored three points for his team in the 68th minute by converting a penalty kick that went into the bottom left corner. Al-Hilal, who are now leading the standings and have one more game remaining, are 9 points ahead of Al-Nassr, nevertheless.
Al-Nassr, however, has already been eliminated from the quarterfinals of the Asian Champions League. The Ronaldo-le won the rematch 4-3 in Riyadh as a response after a 1-0 first-leg loss to Al-Ain of the United Arab Emirates. But it fell short in the 3-1 penalty shootout. The only player from the home team to score in the shootout was Ronaldo.
The 39-year-old Ronaldo did miss a number of opportunities throughout regulation, and in the second half, with Al-Ain goalkeeper Khalid Eisa on the ground, he missed the target from just two meters away, shaking his head in shock. But he scored on a late penalty kick in extra time to send the game to penalties, where his team lost.
Real Madrid Urges Spanish Prosecutors to Investigate Racist Chants Against Vinicius Junior
Real Madrid has taken a decisive step in addressing the persistent issue of racist abuse aimed at their forward, Vinicius Junior, during away games in Spain. The club recently lodged a formal complaint with Spanish state prosecutors, urging them to launch an investigation into the reported racist chants directed at Vinícius outside stadiums hosting Champions League matches against Atletico Madrid and Barcelona this week.
The incident involving Atletico fans chanting “Vinícius chimpanzee” was captured in a video shared by Vinícius himself on social media. In response, Real Madrid is actively seeking footage from security cameras outside the stadiums to identify the individuals responsible for the racial abuse.
These hateful chants are not isolated incidents but part of a recurring pattern of racism and discrimination faced by Vinícius. The Spanish league has also pledged to escalate the matter to the prosecutor’s office for hate crimes.
Real Madrid’s condemnation of these racist attacks underscores the severity of the issue and the club’s commitment to combating racism in football. Vinícius, who is of Black descent, has endured such abuse for the past two seasons, with previous incidents including an effigy of him being hanged by Atletico fans in 2023.
By taking legal action and raising awareness about these despicable acts, Real Madrid aims to bring accountability and justice for Vinícius and other victims of racism in the football community.
