Ronaldo in hot water over gesture after Al Nassr win

Cristiano Ronaldo sparked controversy on Sunday, after appearing to make a lewd gesture following Al Nassr’s thrilling 3-2 victory against Al Shabab in the Saudi Pro League.

The Portuguese superstar opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 21st minute. However, Al Nassr needed a late winner from Brazilian Talisca, who netted twice, to clinch the game with just four minutes remaining. After the final whistle, social media footage showed Ronaldo seemingly grabbing his crotch area before thrusting his hand repeatedly in the direction of the Al Shabab supporters.

Chants of “Messi” could also be heard in the background, referencing Ronaldo’s long-time rival from Argentina. The incident was not captured on television cameras but prompted some Saudi pundits to call for sanctions against Ronaldo. There has been no official response yet, but Saudi newspaper Asharq al-Awsat reported that the National Football Federation had launched an investigation.

“Everything has its limits, no matter how famous you are. This is how the major leagues operate”, said prominent Saudi writer and TV host Waleed Al Farraj on social media. Al Nassr declined to comment when contacted.

This is not the first time Ronaldo has courted controversy with his on-field antics in Saudi Arabia. Last April, he appeared to grab his crotch after a league loss to Al Hilal. Earlier this month, he discarded an Al Hilal scarf thrown to him by fans after another defeat in the Riyadh Season Cup final. He currently leads the Saudi league in scoring with 22 goals in 20 games.