Al-Hilal fans display Lionel Messi banner to apparently troll Cristiano Ronaldo during Al-Nassr win over Al-Akhdoud

During Al-Nassr's latest clash against Al-Akhdoud in the Saudi Pro League on Thursday (May 9), a few fans in the stands displayed a Lionel Messi banner, allegedly to troll Cristiano Ronaldo. The two legends play in different leagues on different continents now, but their fans are yet to get over their age-old rivalry in the sport.

A fan account on X, @M10GOAT, shared an image of two fans holding a banner of Leo Messi kissing the 2022 World Cup trophy after winning the competition in Qatar. The caption on the banner read, "The best always and forever." One of the fans in the picture was wearing an Al-Hilal shirt.

Al-Nassr went on to win the match 3-2, with Ronaldo scoring one of the goals. The club are second on the Saudi Pro League table with 77 points (31 games), second to Al-Hilal with 86 points (30 games). The Portuguese talisman has 42 goals and 12 assists in 41 appearances for Al-Nassr in this season.

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Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi weighed in on their age-old rivalry

This is not the first time Ronaldo or Messi has faced such a situation, as there are multiple incidents of fans chanting one's name while the other is playing on the pitch. However, Cristiano Ronaldo himself believes his rivalry with Messi is "gone", as he weighed in on the age-old feud in a 2023 interview.

Speaking to the media in September 2023 during the Euro 2024 qualifiers, Cristiano Ronaldo said the rivalry was "good" and "the fans liked it".

"I don’t see things that way, the rivalry is gone. It was good, the fans liked it. Those who like Cristiano Ronaldo don’t have to hate Messi. They’re both very good, they changed football history," the Portuguese legend said. (via CNN)

Lionel Messi shared a similar point of view when he weighed in on his rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo after winning his record eighth Ballon d'Or last year. In October 2023, after receiving the coveted award, La Pulga said the rivalry was "an enjoyable time" for them.

"It was a great battle, from a sporting point of view. We fed off each other's rivalry because we're both great competitors. He, too, always wanted to win everything, all the time. It was a very enjoyable time for both of us and for everyone who loves football," Messi said (via L'Equipe).

Much like his rival, Lionel Messi is also having an incredible season with Inter Miami. The Herons are at the top of the Eastern Conference of the MLS with 24 points, while Lionel Messi has 12 goals and 11 assists in 11 appearances in 2024 as of now.