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Saudi Arabia defender Ali Albulayhi, known for his clashes with Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, has made the news once again. The Al Hill star was filmed pulling South Korea captain Son Heung-Min by his hair in their AFC Asian Cup match.
The 2022 FIFA World Cup was iconic for many reasons, including a huge upset on Matchday One of the tournament as Saudi Arabia defeated eventual winners Argentina. During the game, Albulayhi slapped Lionel Messi on the back to gain his attention before telling him that he would not win the game.
Albulayhi repeated his irritation of opposition forwards with Cristiano Ronaldo this season as his Al Hilal side faced Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League. The defender taunted Ronaldo during the game and continued even after the final whistle.
The Round of 16 of the AFC Asian Cup threw up a classic meeting between two of Asia's finest sides in Saudi Arabia and South Korea. Albulayhi made his presence felt once more in the game as he appeared to manhandle Korean captain Son Heung-Min.
The 34-year-old defender pushed the Tottenham Hotspur man before grabbing a fistful of his hair. The match ended in penalty shootout agony for Albulayhi and the rest of his teammates, as they fell to a 4-2 shootout defeat following a 1-1 draw in regulation time.
Roberto Mancini's Saudi Arabia held a lead in the clash until South Korea equalised in the 99th minute through Cho Gue-Sung. The match went on to a penalty shootout, and South Korea goalkeeper Hyeon-Woo Jo made two saves before Hwang Hee-Chan scored the winning penalty.
Cristiano Ronaldo ruled out through injury ahead of Lionel Messi clash
The Riyadh Season Cup was supposed to pit 21st-century football icons Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi against one another for the last time. The Argentine superstar and his Inter Miami side were invited to participate in the friendly tournament, which is taking place in Riyadh.
Lionel Messi featured and scored in his side's opener against Al Hilal and is set to face Al Nassr in the second game. Cristiano Ronaldo was doubtful for the clash, having missed training for two weeks with an unspecified injury, which saw his side cancel their tour of China.
Al Nassr have now confirmed that the 38-year-old will not feature in the match due to his injury, and he will sit out the encounter. The Saudi giants do not intend to risk their captain and star forward ahead of the second half of the season.
