Cristiano Ronaldo completely lost the plot at Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Monday night.
In an ill-tempered Saudi Super Cup semifinal clash, the star striker was sent off for a cynical foul on Al Hilal’s Ali Al Bulayhi as Al Nassr slumped to a 2-1 defeat.
Thanks to second half goals from Brazilian striker Malcolm and Saudi’s World Cup star Salem Al Dawsari, Al Hilal were in cruise control when Ronaldo imploded in the 86th minute, leading to a dramatic finish to the match.
In a desperate attempt to get the ball for a throw-in, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner elbowed Al Bulayhi who crashed to the ground, sparking a touchline melee between players from both teams.
The referee showed a straight red card to the Portuguese superstar who even raised his fist at the official.
Al Hilal fans then rubbed salt into Ronaldo’s wounds with Messi chants as he slowly disappeared into the tunnel.
Sadio Mane did find the back of the net for Al Nassr in the 99th minute, but it was too little, too late as Al Hilal survived the late drama to reach the final.
Al-Hilal will now be aiming for a fourth Saudi Super Cup title in Thursday’s final against Al-Ittihad.
Earlier, Karim Benzema, Ronaldo’s former Real Madrid teammate, scored an early goal for Al-Ittihad who beat Al-Wehda 2-1 in the first semifinal on Monday.