In a playful manner, fans have humorously imagined Cristiano Ronaldo finally grasping the World Cup trophy, drawing a parallel to the distinctive prize he received for earning the Man of the Match accolade.
During Wednesday night’s match, Ronaldo showcased his prowess by netting a decisive 75th-minute goal, propelling Al Nassr to the finals of the Arab Club Champions Cup.
The victory was sealed with his emphatic conversion of a penalty, securing a 1-0 triumph over Al Shorta. This goal came after a foul on new acquisition Sadio Mane inside the penalty area.
In a light-hearted tone, spectators have playfully connected Ronaldo’s recent recognition with his long-desired attainment of the World Cup trophy, highlighting the distinctive and memorable nature of the prize he received for his outstanding performance.
The decision went through the VAR review process before the penalty kick was ultimately granted, and Ronaldo confidently converted from the 12-yard mark.
His decisive goal secured him the title of Player of the Match, and the award itself had a lighthearted resemblance to something one might receive at a youth football event.
The trophy bore a striking resemblance to a scaled-down replica of the World Cup, a whimsical addition to Ronaldo’s already remarkable array of accolades.
The actual Arab Club Champions Cup does bear a resemblance to the Jules Rimet trophy but Ronaldo was absolutely rinsed on social media.
One said: “Ronaldo receiving his first World Cup trophy.”
A second joked: “Nah they Awarded Ronaldo a Homemade World Cup trophy.”
A third added: “Did you guys see Ronaldo’s World Cup trophy. He’s so happy! Finally won it.”
A fourth had the same thought, commenting: “They made a World Cup trophy for Ronaldo.”
A fifth user asked: “Why do I feel like Saudi Arabia is trying to make up for the fact that Ronaldo missed out on the world cup, by giving him the trophy lookalike?”
A final fan echoed previous points, writing: “Nah, they made a world Cup replica trophy for Ronaldo’s happiness.”
Ronaldo has scored eight goals in the World Cup but none have come in a knockout fixture. Portugal’s highest finish with Ronaldo in the side came back in 2006, with the latest showpiece seeing the team losing to Morocco on the quarter-finals.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner is in a perfect position to win a first bit of silverware with Al Nassr though. They will face the winner of Al Hilal and Al Shabab in Saturday’s final.
Al Nassr will then be in action on Monday when they take on Steven Gerrard’s Al Ettifaq in their first game in the new Saudi Pro League season.