Al Hilal striker Michael had a cheeky dig at Lionel Messi by imitating Cristiano Ronaldo’s ‘Siu’ celebration after scoring in a friendly against Inter Miami.
The Saudi Pro League champions hosted the MLS side at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh on Monday night, in a game that featured some of the biggest names in world football.
Messi, who joined Miami in January after leaving Paris Saint-Germain, lined up alongside former Barcelona teammates Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets and Luis Suarez, as well as other stars such as David Silva, Edinson Cavani and Sergio Aguero.
But the visitors were stunned by Al Hilal’s blistering start, as Aleksandr Mitrovic and Abdullah Al-Hamdan netted within the first 13 minutes to give the home side a 2-0 lead.
Michael, who joined Al Hilal from Porto in 2022, added a third goal in the 44th minute after Luiz Suarez drew one back for Inter Miami
The Player then ran towards the Miami bench and performed Ronaldo’s signature ‘Siu’ celebration, a clear provocation to Messi.
Michael’s gesture sparked a heated reaction from the Miami players, who confronted him and accused him of disrespecting Messi.
The game was briefly halted as the referee tried to calm down the situation, before resuming with no further incidents.
READ ALSO: Lionel Messi Wins 2023 FIFA Best Men’s Player Award
Al Hilal held on to their 3-0 lead until the final whistle, handing Miami a humiliating defeat in their first game of 2024.
The MLS side will hope to bounce back when they start their league campaign against New York City FC on February 10.
Al Hilal, meanwhile, will resume their domestic season against Al-Fateh on February 3, as they aim to defend their title and qualify for the AFC Champions League.
