Football fans flooded social media to commend Cristiano Ronaldo’s exemplary sportsmanship during Al-Nassr’s clash against Persepolis in the Asian Champions League.
Ronaldo, who had made the headlines over the weekend for scoring two stupendous goals, captured attention once more, this time for his fair play.
In the initial moments of the penultimate group-stage match, the former Real Madrid goal-scoring machine seemed to have been fouled inside the box, leading the referee to award a penalty in favour of Al-Nassr.
Ronaldo demonstrates honesty in penalty incident
However, in a remarkable display of honesty, Cristiano hurried to the match official, signalling to reconsider the decision.
The swift intervention by the 38-year-old prompted the referee to review the incident using VAR, resulting in the cancellation of the penalty. This incident rapidly spread across social media platforms, sparking conversations among fans.
Fans salute Ronaldo’s honesty
Ronaldo’s gesture of fairness earned widespread praise from fans, many taking the opportunity to contrast his sportsmanship with that of his rival, Lionel Messi.
@ReyesDeUniverso praised Ronaldo but was quick to aim a swipe at Lionel Messi:
“He doesn’t take robbed penalties like a certain someone.”
Another user, @Chava_snr, aimed a dent at Leo Messi’s sportsmanship while lauding the Portuguese:
“If it were Messi in Qatar, he would never do this. This is why Ronaldo is the greatest of all time.”
@killeures concluded:
“Ronaldo is more humble than Messi.”
One user, @ValvRmfc, also used the opportunity to deride Ronaldo’s rival Messi:
“You will never see Messi doing this, by the way; he just likes to steal penalties just like in the World Cup.”
@7amd998 lauded Ronaldo’s sportsmanship:
“Ronaldo tells the match referee that the penalty kick he received was incorrect. Ronaldo is a symbol of morality and fair play.
