Cristiano Ronaldo mocked after appearing to read Al-Ittihad’s tactics in Saudi Clasico

Cristiano Ronaldo became the subject of online jokes after television cameras captured him apparently trying to read a tactical note during Al-Nassr’s Saudi Clasico against Al-Ittihad.

The incident took place during the fifth round of the Roshn Saudi League, when Ronaldo, the Al-Nassr captain, stood behind Al-Ittihad midfielder Danilo Pereira as the Portugal forward attempted to see what had been written on a sheet of paper.

The note had been given to Pereira by Al-Ittihad’s young German manager, Jens Wissing. Ronaldo appeared keen to discover the instructions Wissing had passed to his player, creating an unusual scene during one of the Saudi Pro League’s most high-profile fixtures.

Pereira soon realised what Ronaldo was doing. The Al-Ittihad player then burst out laughing after noticing that the Al-Nassr forward was trying to look at the instructions.

The moment quickly became one of the most widely shared humorous clips from the match. Ronaldo’s apparent attempt to “spy” on the opposition’s tactical message was unusual enough to attract widespread attention on social media.

Al-Ittihad’s official account on X joined in with the reaction by reposting the video and adding a teasing caption aimed at Ronaldo.

The club wrote: “Is this what you learned from marking!?” 😂

The comment appeared to refer to Ronaldo’s attempt to monitor the instructions being exchanged on the pitch. It also turned the incident into another moment of rivalry between the supporters of Al-Ittihad and Al-Nassr online.

The footage was shared with the hashtag #AlIttihad_AlNassr and prompted strong engagement from fans, who treated the brief exchange as a light-hearted addition to the latest meeting between the two clubs.

Ronaldo’s involvement ensured that the clip attracted particular interest, with the five-time Ballon d’Or winner appearing at the centre of a scene more commonly associated with informal touchline humour than a competitive league match.

The incident was also circulated alongside wider discussion of the fixture, including a related report about a major contract that had allegedly damaged Karim Benzema’s hopes. Fans were invited to discuss the subjects and the latest football news in the Kooora forums.

The clip added a playful subplot to the meeting between Al-Nassr and Al-Ittihad, while the exchange between Ronaldo and Pereira provided supporters with a memorable image from the fifth-round encounter.