All eyes are on Cristiano Ronaldo as the Portugal icon will lead the 2016 winners in their first game of the UEFA Euro 2024 against the Czech Republic on Wednesday. Ronaldo, who guided Portugal to its first European title in 2016, was given a shoutout by FIFA which has garnered the attention of MS Dhoni fans in India on Tuesday. Taking to Instagram on the eve of Portugal's Euro opener, the official handle of the FIFA World Cup shared a post about Ronaldo.

Captioning the post featuring Ronaldo, the Instagram handle opted to mention Dhoni in the viral post indirectly. "Thala for a reason," FIFA World Cup captioned the Ronaldo post on the Facebook-owned platform. Nicknamed Thala, Dhoni is the beating heart of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) franchise. The viral 'Thala for a reason' trend is synonymous with Dhoni, who donned the No.7 jersey of the Super Kings in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. Dhoni also sported the No.7 in his trophy-laden international career between 2004 to 2019.

Dhoni and his love for the number 7 is well documented by his fan army. Over the years, Dhoni loyalists have flooded social media with posts about the former CSK skipper. Earlier, Google also joined the 'Thala for a reason' trend by honouring Dhoni in a heartwarming post. Multiple brands have shared their takes on the ‘Thala for a reason’ trend in the IPL season. After calling time on his illustrious international career in 2020, Dhoni only features in the cash-rich league.

Dhoni fans react as FIFA gives Ronaldo's post a 'Thala' twist!

Dhoni in IPL 2024

Dhoni was in speculations about finishing up his career in the 2024 edition of the IPL. On the eve of the IPL 2024 opener between CSK and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Dhoni stepped down as the leader of the Super Kings franchise. Dhoni handed the captaincy reins to Indian opener Ruturaj Gaikwad for IPL 2024. With seven wins from 14 matches, Dhoni-starrer CSK failed to enter the playoff stage of the IPL 2024. Finishing fifth in the 10-team tournament, CSK picked up 14 points from 14 games last season.

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