Cristiano Ronaldo, star of Al Nassr, sparked controversy during his team's match against Al Ettifaq in the Round of 16 of the Saudi King's Cup due to his objections to the referee's decisions and a strange request he made to the fourth official. Chilean referee Piero Maza, who officiated the match, faced criticism and protests from players on both teams, particularly from Ronaldo, regarding his decisions.
In one particularly controversial moment, Ronaldo was seen signaling to the fourth official to replace referee Piero Maza after the Chilean official disallowed a goal scored by Al Nassr's Brazilian player Talisca.
Previously, the Portuguese star had vehemently protested a decision by the referee not to award him a free kick outside the penalty area. The referee rejected Ronaldo's behavior and manner of protest, issuing him a yellow card, which only increased the Portuguese star's anger.
After a long struggle, Senegalese player Sadio Mané succeeded in scoring the winning goal for Al Nassr (1-0) in the 107th minute of the second extra half, securing his team's place in the quarter-finals.
