Saudi Arabia’s football governing body on Thursday suspended Cristiano Ronaldo for one game due to a gesture he made on the pitch last weekend, which was deemed a “provocation”.
The Saudi Arabian Football Federation said the Al-Nassr captain and former Porto star was also fined a total of 30,000 riyals ($8,000) for the move, which broke rules against provoking the public during a match.
The decision cannot be appealed.
Video emerged after his side’s 3-2 win against Al-Shabab showing Ronaldo making a repeated thrusting gesture towards his groin in response to crowds taunting him by chanting the name of his longtime rival, Lionel Messi.
The content quickly went viral and surged to the top of Saudi social media trending topics.
Sports newspaper Al-Riyadiya reported Ronaldo as saying he respected all football clubs and that the gesture expressed “strength and victory”, not offense, and was considered acceptable in Europe.
The 39-year-old, a five-time winner of the UEFA Champions League, was the first major star to move to the kingdom when he penned a deal with Al-Nassr in January 2023.
