Cristiano Ronaldo walked off the field with the gleeful chants of Messi, Messi, Messi! ringing in his ears from delighted Al-Hilal fans who had just watched their Saudi Pro League team beat the Portugal superstar’s Al-Nassr 3-0 in the Riyadh Derby on Friday.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner may have finished on the losing team Aleksandar Mitrovic scored twice after fellow Serbian Sergej Milinkovic-Savic opened Al-Hilal but Ronaldo still remains the focus of attention in Saudi Arabian soccer despite the taunts of opposition fans referencing his great rival of nearly two decades.
As thousands of cars headed east out of downtown Riyadh to watch the top two league teams and bitter local rivals face off at the King Fahd International Stadium the last to be played at the arena for three years as it is to be renovated to host games at the 2027 Asian Cup and anticipated 2034 World Cup one Al-Nassr fan leaned out and shouted: Are you here to see Cristiano?
When Ronaldo warmed up, there .