Saudi Football Federation suspends Cristiano Ronaldo

On Thursday, the football governing body of Saudi Arabia decided to suspend Cristiano Ronaldo for a single game due to a gesture he made on the field last weekend, deemed as a “provocation.” The Saudi Arabian Football Federation imposed a fine of 30,000 riyals ($8,000) on the Al-Nassr captain and former Sporting Lisbon star for violating rules against inciting the public during a match.

This penalty, totaling both suspension and fine, resulted from a video that surfaced post his team’s 3-2 victory against Al-Shabab. In the footage, Ronaldo can be seen repeatedly making a thrusting gesture towards his groin in response to chants from the crowd taunting him with the name of his longstanding rival, Lionel Messi. Importantly, this decision is non-appealable.