“Our very own idol” - Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr sends message to Cristiano Ronaldo after standout display in Al-Nassr’s win over rivals Al-Hilal

By Silas Sud

Modified Apr 05, 2025 09:25 GMT

Real Madrid winger Vinicius Jr has declared Cristiano Ronaldo as his 'idol' after the latter had an outstanding performance during Al-Nassr's 3-1 win over rivals Al-Hilal. Ronaldo was named the Player of the Match following their Saudi Pro League clash at the Kingdom Arena on Friday, April 4.

Al-Nassr broke the deadlock just before half-time via Ali Al-Hassan's screamer from outside the box. Cristiano Ronaldo doubled their advantage in the 47th minute with an excellent finish before converting an 88th-minute penalty to complete his brace. Meanwhile, Ali Al-Bulayhi netted a consolation goal for Al-Hilal in the 62nd minute.

Ronaldo was ecstatic over winning the Riyadh derby as he posted on Instagram:

"RIYADH IS YELLOW AND BLUE!"

Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr replied:

"Our very own idol !!!!!"

Expand Tweet

Cristiano Ronaldo has been brilliant for Al-Nassr this season, scoring 30 goals and providing four assists in 34 appearances across all competitions. The former Real Madrid ace has also helped his side challenge for the Saudi Pro League title. They are currently third with 54 points from 26 games, seven points behind leaders Al-Ittihad, who have a game in hand.

Ronaldo will next feature for Al-Nassr against Al-Riyadh on Saturday, April 12.

"It was unfair in my opinion" - When Real Madrid legend Cristiano Ronaldo claimed Vinicius Jr was robbed of 2024 Ballon d'Or

Former Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo once claimed that Vinicius Jr should have been awarded the 2024 Ballon d'Or instead of Manchester City's Rodri. The latter won his maiden Golden Ball on October 28, 2024, despite the Brazilian's impressive season, leading to Los Blancos boycotting the ceremony.

Vinicius Jr had a brilliant 2023-24 season for Real Madrid, scoring 25 goals and registering 11 assists in 40 appearances across all competitions. He played an instrumental role in Los Blancos winning three trophies, including the LaLiga title and UEFA Champions League.

Despite being the favorite to win the Ballon d'Or, Rodri went on to win the Golden Ball. During the Dubai Globe Soccer Awards on December 28, Cristiano Ronaldo said (via GOAL):

"In my opinion, he [Vinicius] deserved to win the Golden Ball [Ballon d'Or award]. It was unfair in my opinion. I say here in front of everybody. They give it to Rodri, he deserved it too, but they should have given it to Vinicius because he won the Champions League and scored in the final. You know these galas, they always do the same thing. This is why I love Globe Soccer Awards, they are honest."

Vinicius Jr went on to win The Best FIFA Men's Player of the Year award on December 17.

About the author

Silas has been a European and international football writer at Sportskeeda for 2 years. A Computer Applications graduate, he is a versatile writer who conducts in-depth research and verifies information from multiple sources to ensure complete accuracy in his articles. Silas was introduced to the beautiful game back in 2008, watching the Premier League on television.

Silas is a Liverpool supporter through and through and admires everything about the club – it’s history, culture, style of play, and all of its iconic players and managers. His favorite player is Steven Gerrard, who was also one of the primary reasons to get interested in football and support Liverpool.

Unsurprisingly, his favorite manager is Jurgen Klopp, who transformed the Reds from a mid-table club to Premier League champions. Liverpool’s fourth goal in their 4-0 win over Barcelona, scored by Divock Origi after the iconic ‘corner taken quickly’ moment from Trent Alexander-Arnold, holds a special place in Silas’ heart.

Apart from Europe’s top five leagues, he also follows Major League Soccer and the Saudi Pro League. When not writing, he indulges in reading, traveling, fitness and gaming.

Know More

Edited by Silas Sud