“Idol for a reason”, “Messi cried and retired btw” - Cristiano Ronaldo fans in awe of what he told Al-Nassr teammates after Super Cup final loss

Cristiano Ronaldo fans were left in awe by the Portuguese superstar and compared him to Lionel Messi after Al-Nassr's loss in the Saudi Super Cup. The Knights of Najd suffered a 5-3 defeat on penalties against Al-Ahli in the Super Cup final after a 2-2 draw after 90 minutes.

Ronaldo opened the scoring from the spot in the 41st minute but Franck Kessie equalised ten minutes later. Marcelo Brozovic's 82nd-minute goal seemed enough to fire Al-Nassr to victory but Roger Ibanez scored for Al-Ahli in the 88th minute.

The game headed to a penalty shootout after a stalemate in normal time, where Al-Ahli scored each of their five penalties. Cristiano Ronaldo, Marcelo Brozovic and Joao Felix scored for Al-Alami but Abdullah Al-Khaibari missed his spot kick.

Following the game, Ronaldo showed his professionalism and sporting spirit during the award ceremony. The 40-year-old was seen cheering his teammate and urging them to keep their heads high after collecting their silver medals. Here is an image of the Portuguese superstar motivating his team (via 433 in Instagram):

Fans were in awe of the five-time Ballon d'Or winner and compared how he is superior to Lionel Messi in terms of leadership and sporting spirit. One fan pointed out how the Argentine cried and retired from the national team after Argentina's loss to Germany in the 2014 World Cup final. He wrote:

"Messi cried and retired btw 😂"

Another fan shared his pride in choosing Cristiano Ronaldo as his idol. He wrote:

"Idol for a reason >>>>>"

Ronaldo has shared a huge rivalry with Lionel Messi over the years and the two dominated world football for almost two decades. They won 13 Ballon d'Ors between them, which speaks volumes about their insane consistency and longevity.

Lionel Messi's Argentina teammate names Cristiano Ronaldo as his toughest opponent

Argentine midfielder Alexis Mac Allister has named Cristiano Ronaldo as the toughest opponent he has ever faced in his career. The Liverpool midfielder shares a close bond with compatriot Lionel Messi and helped Argentina win the 2024 World Cup.

The 26-year-old has also been part of the Argentine sides along with Messi that won the 2024 Copa America. At the PFA awards on Tuesday, August 19, he attended a quickfire interview with GOAL.

On being asked about the toughest opponent he has ever faced, he gave a swift response. The technically gifted midfielder said:

"Cristiano Ronaldo"

Mac Allister has faced Ronaldo only thrice in his career during his Brighton days and won twice and lost once. The Portuguese superstar scored once in those three games.

Meanwhile, he has played alongside Lionel Messi 29 times for Argentina and won 26 times while losing twice and drawing once.

About the author

Snehanjan is a journalist at Sportskeeda covering European football news. A hardcore Liverpool fan for over two decades, he has been covering the game since the past 8 years and always strives to give readers relevant, accurate and credible content.

Snehanjan developed an interest in football at a very young age, thanks to his father watching football on TV. His favorite player is club legend Steven Gerrard and his favorite manager is another legend in Jurgen Klopp. The ‘Miracle of Istanbul’ i.e., Liverpool beating AC Milan in the 2005 UEFA Champions League final left an indelible mark on him. He believes that Liverpool is a family unlike other top clubs, which sets them apart.

Snehanjan also follows Indian Super League and the I-League, although the latter is closer to his heart. If he could change a rule in football, it would be VAR not pointing out mistakes of on-field officials unless they are clear and obvious errors. Outside the football world, Snehanjan likes to explore the various genres of music and watch movies and shows on OTT. He’s also a car enthusiast and likes to follow the automobile world.

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Edited by Snehanjan Banerjee