Cristiano Ronaldo has raised eyebrows for playfully mocking a fan who looked like him.
The 40-year-old professional soccer star approached a fan while on the field Friday, before his team Al-Nassr FC’s match against Al Shabab FC. His club is also a part of the Saudi Pro League, which often plays in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
In the now viral clip on X, captured by someone in the stands, a fan who looked like Ronaldo was smiling and wearing a Portugal shirt — representing the national team that the athlete’s been playing for since 2003. The guest also had gel in his hair, which it was parted to the side, just like the soccer star.
However, as Ronaldo made his way toward the fan, he mocked him for his appearance.
“Bro, you don’t look like me,” he said, before the fan still responded: “You are the best!”
Ronaldo continued his bit, saying: “You are very ugly!” with a smile on his face. He then ran back toward the middle of the field.
The fan continued to take the situation in his stride, as he smiled and held his thumbs up. He once again told Ronaldo: “You are the best bro!” The athlete then made his way back over and gave a thumbs up to the fan.
On X, some fans have criticized Ronaldo for making that joke about his lookalike.
“That was actually very rude of him,” one tweeted, while another claimed: “If any of y’all’s fav artists did this, they would get canceled.”
“Now how do we defend this,” a third tweeted.
However, other fans didn’t hesitate to defend Ronaldo, as they said it was clear to them that he was joking.
“You can literally see his smile before turning away, idk why people take this s*** seriously,” one wrote on X.
Another wrote about the bit: “That was actually funny.”
So far, the Portugal superstar has given no indication that he’ll be retiring anytime soon, as he continues to represent his country as well as playing for Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League. However, in February, he did share a career move he eventually wants to make, and it is not coaching or managing.
“It doesn’t make a lot of sense to be director of a club. If I can be a club owner, why would I be a manager, sporting director or CEO?” he told Portuguese television station Canal 11. “That is a dream of mine and I am sure I’ll be a club owner. And I’ll tell you more. I hope to have not just one club, but several clubs.”
Ronaldo is also a father, as he and his longtime partner, Georgina Rodriguez, share an eight-year-old daughter, Alana. When they revealed in 2022 that their second daughter, Bella, two, had been born, they also shared that the then-newborn’s twin brother, Angel, had died.
“It is with our deepest sadness we have to announce our baby boy has passed away. It is the greatest pain that any parents can feel,” they wrote on Instagram at the time. Only the birth of our baby girl gives us the strength to live this moment with some hope and happiness.”
Ronaldo also has three other children – 14-year-old Cristiano Jr and seven-year-old twins Eva Maria and Mateo – from previous relationships.
