Riyadh: A gesture billed as respect for different cultures and religions, International soccer giant Cristiano Ronaldo bowed down in Sajdah after scoring winning goal for Al Nassr FC Tuesday.
Bowing down in Sujood is a Muslim act of prostration. Devout Muslims bow down in prayer to express gratitude and surrender to a higher power.
Such gestures are common on football and cricket grounds when Muslim players bow down in Sujood to express their gratitude to Allah, The Almighty.
Football fans saw similar gestures after Saudi Arabia defeated Argentina in 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, and a number of times when Morocco players did the same after winning each match on their way to World Cup Semi Finals.
On Tuesday, Ronaldo bows down in Sujood after scoring a stunning winner as his side Al Nassr fought back to beat visitors Al Shabab 3-2 and put Al Ittihad’s Saudi Pro League title celebrations on hold.
Al Shabab looked to have dented Al Nassr’s faint hopes of winning the title early on, with Argentinian forward Cristian Guanca putting the Riyadh-based side two goals up in the first half.
Ronaldo making Sujood after scoring the goalpic.twitter.com/vQhHRqwQKm— M (@madridfooty_) May 23, 2023
Ronaldo making Sujood after scoring the goalpic.twitter.com/vQhHRqwQKm
Al Nassr clawed their way back into contention with goals from Talisca and Abdulrahman Ghareeb either side of half time.
Ronaldo then put Al Nassr 3-2 up with a brilliant solo strike, and then bows down on ground and performed Sajdah as millions of people worldwide witnessed his heartfelt gesture, showcasing his prowess on the pitch and his respect for different cultures and religions.
Later in the post-match interview Ronaldo said Saudi Professional League he joined this season could in time become one of the top five leagues in the world.
In remarks to Saudi Sports Company (SSC) Channel, the official broadcaster of Saudi Pro League, after Tuesday’s match with Al-Shabab the Portuguese legend, who joined Al-Nassr Club of Riyadh in January this year, said that the quality of the Saudi competition had improved even in his short time in it.
“It is not easy to come back after falling behind by two clean goals... but we came back and scored three goals and we are happy with the victory, and I congratulate my squad members for the amazing performance”, Ronaldo said. “In my opinion, the Saudi league is getting better and the next year will be even better. Step-by-step, I think this league will be among the top five leagues in the world but they need time, players and infrastructure”, he added.
“It is not easy to come back after falling behind by two clean goals... but we came back and scored three goals and we are happy with the victory, and I congratulate my squad members for the amazing performance”, Ronaldo said.
“In my opinion, the Saudi league is getting better and the next year will be even better. Step-by-step, I think this league will be among the top five leagues in the world but they need time, players and infrastructure”, he added.
“But I believe that this country has amazing potential, they have amazing people and the league will be great in my opinion”, Cristiano Ronaldo, who has now scored 15+ league goals in 17 consecutive seasons, said.
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