Cristiano Ronaldo’s frustration was evident as he refused to collect his runner-up medal after Al-Nassr’s 4-1 defeat to Al-Hilal in the Saudi Super Cup final. Despite putting his team ahead with the opening goal just before halftime, Ronaldo's efforts were overshadowed by a second-half collapse from his teammates.

Al-Hilal responded with four goals in quick succession, effectively sealing the match and the trophy. Aleksandar Mitrovic was instrumental in the comeback, scoring twice in the space of six minutes, with Malcom adding a fourth to secure the win.

Adding to the drama, Al-Hilal fans taunted Ronaldo with chants of "Messi" as the match concluded, referencing his long-time rival Lionel Messi. The Al-Hilal captain, Salem Al-Dawsari, then recreated Messi’s iconic World Cup celebration, further intensifying the rivalry narrative between the two football legends.

Ronaldo’s frustration grew as the match slipped away from Al-Nassr. Cameras captured his visible anger, with the Portuguese star gesturing towards his teammates, seemingly accusing them of not giving their best effort. When it came time for the medal ceremony, Ronaldo chose to head straight to the locker room, declining to participate in the presentation with the rest of his team.

This refusal to accept the silver medal has sparked discussions about his temperament and the pressure he faces as he enters his second full season with Al-Nassr and whether he will continue playing football.

"I can't give too much away, but I've been doing a few bits with Cristiano behind the scenes, and he's playing as long as he wants,” his ex-teammate Rio Ferdinand said on Rio Reacts previously. "He ain't going nowhere. And I was gobsmacked. And listen, you’ll see it in time, but minimum three years I think he plays for again."

"Cristiano has the ability to be a very successful manager; we've seen his energy and his passion," another ex-teammate, Louis Saha, said previously. "He'd have the desire of Diego Simeone and the credibility of Zinedine Zidane. That combination as well as all his experience of working under Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti as well as Sir Alex Ferguson, the knowledge he would bring is crazy. It's not just about football but he represents so much in terms of how you should conduct yourself and go about achieving your goals, he could be a manager, a club president. It's admirable what he has done, he's a human being that makes mistakes like anybody but he has never stopped working hard."