Cristiano Ronaldo skips silver medal ceremony after Al Nassr defeat

Cristiano Ronaldo has ignited a fierce debate after failing to join his Al Nassr teammates on the podium to collect their runners-up medals, following a 1-0 defeat to Japan's Gamba Osaka in the AFC Champions League 2 final.

The match, played Saturday evening at Al-Awwal Park Stadium in Riyadh, saw a balanced first half before Gamba Osaka broke the deadlock in the 30th minute through Turkish striker Deniz Hümet, who scored the game's only goal.

After the final whistle, Gamba Osaka players formed a guard of honour to salute their opponents in a gesture of sportsmanship. Al Nassr's players then trudged up to receive their silver medals — but television cameras and social media feeds quickly noted Ronaldo's absence from the ceremony.

Widely circulated footage showed the Portuguese star leaving the field before his teammates ascended the podium. Another video captured the moment Al Nassr players and coaching staff collected their medals, with Ronaldo nowhere to be seen.

Mixed reactions on social media

Opinions on the incident were sharply divided. Some viewed Ronaldo's departure as a legitimate expression of frustration after a painful loss, while others condemned it as a breach of team spirit, particularly during a moment meant to honour both the entire squad and the opposing team.

On platform X, one user wrote: "An unappreciated act from Cristiano Ronaldo. Leaving the team and not accepting the second-place medal harms team spirit."

تصرف غير محمود من كريستيانو رونالدو ترك الفريق وعدم استلام ميدالية المركز الثاني @Cristiano pic.twitter.com/TUCbfTElhp

Another commenter was more scathing: "Cristiano Ronaldo refuses the coronation. He didn't respect the competition, the tournament, or even his teammates and the fans who stood by him. A true leader shows up in defeat before victory. Running away at the medal ceremony is the act of a weak leader who can't handle the scene when the spotlight isn't on him."

#النصر_غامبا_أوساكا كريستيانو رونالدو يرفض التتويج لا احترم المنافسة ولا البطولة ولا حتى احترم زملاءه ولا الجمهور الي وقف معاه كثير. القائد الحقيقي يبان وقت الخسارة قبل الفوز اما الهروب عند وقت التتويج فهذا تصرف قائد ضعيف ما يتحمل المشهد لما ما تكون الأضواء عليه. pic.twitter.com/rmLNwfgUl1

A third post read: "Ronaldo refused the second-place medal and left the stadium. Strange! He abandoned the players and his teammates like this."

🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨 رفض رونالدو ميدالية المركز الثاني وغادر الملعب شيء غريب ترك اللاعبين زملائه بهذا الشكل 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯#النصر_غامبا_أوساكا pic.twitter.com/NC2xD2NozE

Another user added: "Cristiano Ronaldo left his teammates alone at the moment of receiving the silver medals. This is the selfish, arrogant Cristiano. The team captain must be with his teammates in good times and bad."

Ronaldo had not featured for Al Nassr during the group stage of the competition. He played in the final but was unable to prevent the defeat.