Sadio Mane reacted as Al-Ain fans tried to rile up Al-Nassr captain Cristiano Ronaldo by chanting Lionel Messi’s name during warm-up ahead of the AFC Champions League Elite Group B opener on Tuesday (September 15).
Ronaldo and Messi are two of the best ever in the game’s history, scoring over 920 times for club and country and winning big titles and individual honours galore, including multiple Ballon d’Or awards.
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The duo played together in La Liga, albeit for different clubs, between 2009 and 2018 before Ronaldo left Real Madrid for Juventus, while Messi remained with Barcelona till 2021. The two were most recently in action at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the USA, Mexico and Canada.
Ahead of the Knights of Najd’s AFC Champions League game at Al-Ain, home fans were heard chanting Messi’s name as Ronaldo warmed up. Mane reacted by gesticulating in the fans’ direction, as per an Instagram reel shared by transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.
The game itself turned out to be one-sided, as Al-Ain won 4-0, thanks to Houssine Rahimi scoring either side of the break before Houssine’s brother, Soufiane, and Giorgos Giakoumakis added late strikes. Ronaldo and Mane had both started for the visitors but couldn’t make an impact.
What’s next for Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi?
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have resumed club football for their respective sides – Al-Nassr and Inter Miami – after their involvement at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America.
Ronaldo scored thrice in five games as Portugal lost 1-0 to eventual champions Spain in the Round of 16. La Roja went on to beat Messi’s Argentina 1-0 in extra time in the final. Messi ended his campaign with eight goals and four assists in eight games and has since announced his international retirement.
Following Al-Nassr’s midweek defeat at Al-Ain in their AFC Champions League opener, Ronaldo and Co. will next be in action at home to Diriyah as they resume their Saudi Pro League title defence. Ange Postecoglou’s side are third in the standings after seven games, two points behind leaders Al-Hilal (18).
Meanwhile, Messi is expected to feature in Inter Miami’s Campeones Cup final at home to Cruz Azul tonight (September 16). The 39-year-old scored his 99th goal for the Herons in a 2-2 MLS draw with Nashville at the weekend. He has netted a league-leading 19 times in MLS action in 2026.
Edited by Bhargav
