Ronaldo displays sportsman spirit in viral video
During a Saudi Pro League match between Al-Nasr and Iranian club Persepolis in Riyadh on Monday, Cristiano Ronaldo, the superstar footballer from Portugal and the striker of Saudi club Al-Nasr won everyone’s hearts by showing his sportsmanship in the Saudi Pro League match.
Cristiano Ronaldo waved off his own penalty against Persepolis, telling the referee himself he didn't believe it was a foul. 👀
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) November 27, 2023
Not something you see every day in football. 👏 pic.twitter.com/do8L58tFYJ
Ronaldo apparently fell after colliding with a player from the opposing team in the second minute of the match. Referee Ma-Ning then awarded a penalty to Ronaldo, but Ronaldo stated that the fault was not of the defender and refused to take the penalty kick. On this, the referee changed his decision after rewatching the incident on a monitor.
Refusing to take a penalty kick is rare in football, which is why Ronaldo has been widely praised for showing great sportsmanship. The match between the two teams ended in a draw.