Cristiano Ronaldo responds to being told “Messi is better” in tunnel after game

Cristiano Ronaldo’s frustrations were clear after he was heckled by a Lionel Messi supporter during Al-Nassr’s 3-1 win against Al-Batin on Friday.

Table toppers Al-Nassr were widely expected to win the Saudi Professional League fixture against the basement club, but they were left stunned when Renzo Lopez opened the scoring for Al-Batin in the 17th minute. The score-line remained 1-0 at half-time.

Ronaldo was disappointed with his team’s first-half display and his frustrations only grew when a fan shouted at him while he walked down the tunnel. The heckler said, “Messi is so much better than you!” Ronaldo replied, “It’s an easy match! It’s an easy match!”

It is believed the Portugal international was referring to Friday’s game and not Messi, who he has shared a long-term rivalry with over the years. The two superstars have won the Ballon d’Or 12 times between them since Ronaldo claimed his first crown in 2008.

For a while, it seemed as if Al-Batin were going to record a famous win at Al-Nassr’s home ground, Mrsool Park. Yet three goals in added time from Abdulrahman Ghareeb, Mohammed Al-Fatil and Mohammed Maran snatched a dramatic victory for Ronaldo’s side.

Ronaldo, who joined Al-Nassr on a free transfer in January, is the Saudi club’s captain and expressed his delight with their comeback on Instagram. The five-time Champions League winner told his 556 million followers, “Always believe until the end! Vamos!”

Although Ronaldo failed to score on Friday, his time in Saudi Arabia is going well. The 38-year-old has scored eight goals and provided two assists in six Saudi Professional League appearances. His Al-Nassr team-mate Talisca is the division’s top scorer with 13 goals.

Ronaldo’s impressive start to life in Saudi Arabia saw him named as the league’s Player of the Month in February. The forward insisted he was “happy” with the honour. He added, “Hopefully the first of many! Proud to be part of this team.”

Al-Nassr’s victory on Friday was their fourth consecutive triumph in the league. They remain two points clear of Al-Ittihad at the top of the table, with 11 games remaining.

Between 2009 and 2018, Messi’s Barcelona and Cristiano Ronaldo’s Real Madrid competed against each other in LaLiga and the Champions League. Football fans have long debated which superstar is football’s ‘GOAT’ (greatest of all time).

Ronaldo has scored the most goals in men’s international football and won the Champions League five times, once more than Messi. Yet the Argentine has won the Ballon d’Or two more times than Ronaldo, with that margin expected to increase later this year.

The debate appears to have been won by Messi after the Paris Saint-Germain forward captained Argentina to victory at the World Cup in Qatar last year. Messi has now won the one honour missing from Ronaldo’s packed trophy cabinet – hence the heckler.