Ronaldo is considered an ambassador of a modern and international Saudi Arabia. He is paid a huge amount of money up to approximately 230 million USD per year by this Middle Eastern country to do many important and meaningful things instead of simply playing football. And one thing is for sure, Saudi Arabia does not pay Ronaldo to appear in the newspapers with offensive words like crotch or crotch every few days.
It is a fact that even though he is 39 years old – the age when he is supposed to be a mature gentleman, Ronaldo is very easily angered. All people need to do is chant “Messi, Messi, Messi”. It’s amazing when that happens to Ronaldo, a player who has “defeated the East and defeated the North”, has extensive experience and has conquered all noble titles and countless records throughout his career. It seems that being easily agitated, especially when hearing the name Lionel Messi, has seeped into CR7’s skin.
Ronaldo’s will to win, his burning desire, his desire to achieve the highest standards and his performance have so far been exemplary in Saudi Arabia. Currently, the Portuguese superstar is the top scorer (22 goals) and also ranked No. 1 in assists (9 times) in the Saudi Pro League 2023/24. However, Ronaldo’s obscene, unrestrained actions are gradually destroying everything, especially the appearance of Saudi Arabian football.
Last April, Ronaldo grabbed his crotch with his hand while leaving the field when his team Al Nassr lost to Al Hilal. The source of the incident came from Al Hilal fans chanting Messi’s name to tease CR7. Ronaldo was criticized a lot for that action, even facing the risk of being sued. However, after Al Nassr said the “truth” behind Ronaldo’s reaction was because he was “having a groin problem”, everything sank down as if it had never happened.
In early February, Ronaldo once again became the center of attention in the final match against Al Hilal at the Riyadh Season Cup friendly tournament, not because of his good football but because of his bad behavior. Right from the start of the match, the 39-year-old striker appeared frustrated when Al Hilal fans continuously called Messi’s name. Ronaldo was so upset that he started arguing with rival fans in the stands. Then, while going into the tunnel at halftime, Ronaldo picked up a towel thrown by a fan, rubbed it inside his underwear and threw it away.
Most recently, in the match against Al Shabab in the 2023/24 Saudi Pro League, Ronaldo made the media stir again with an offensive celebration. After Al Nassr scored to lead the opponent 3-2 in the 86th minute, Ronaldo put his hand on his ear and then moved his crotch, facing the Al Shabab fans as they shouted Messi’s name. According to many sources, Ronaldo once again repeated this behavior when the referee blew the final whistle. Unlike the previous two times, the Saudi Pro League faced great pressure to punish Ronaldo instead of tolerating it.
Waleed al-Farraj, a famous Saudi writer, said on social networks: “The disciplinary committee is facing the biggest challenge. We will wait and see. Everything has its limits, no matter how famous you are”. The Saudi Arabian Football Federation is investigating and some information says that Ronaldo is expected to be suspended for 2 matches for celebrating offensively. Regardless of the actual penalty, Ronaldo’s thoughtless and rash actions are clearly tarnishing the face of Saudi Arabian football.
It is important to know that Ronaldo is the one who paved the way for the football revolution in Saudi Arabia. He is the brightest star, part of the 2030 vision set by this country. Ronaldo receives huge benefits because he is part of a project to build a sports industry to help diversify Saudi Arabia’s economy, which has traditionally relied on oil. Therefore, Ronaldo is not only a player but also an ambassador. Ironically, Ronaldo is making everything worse, in complete contrast to Messi – who is making American football more attractive and beautiful than ever.
At nearly forty years old, Ronaldo still looks like a big child.
