Cristiano Ronaldo can’t conceal thoughts about The Undertaker’s appearance
The Undertaker lifted the Riyadh Season Cup trophy aloft at the Riyadh Season Cup final in Saudi Arabia, surprising football star Cristiano Ronaldo and his Al-Nassr teammates. The WWE legend’s unexpected appearance at the match, where Al-Nassr was defeated 2-0 by Al-Hilal, brought smiles to Ronaldo and his teammates before the game began. The Undertaker, also known as Mark Calaway, emerged to his theme music, wearing his iconic black coat and hat, and lifted the trophy at the centre circle, accompanied by men in hooded black coats with fire torches. Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal secured their places in the exhibition game by defeating Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami with scores of 6-0 and 4-3 respectively.
After retiring from professional wrestling in 2020, The Undertaker still occasionally shows up on WWE shows, but no longer competes in the squared circle. WWE has a strong relationship with the Saudi Arabian General Entertainment Authority, and the wrestling leader has a deal to hold two premium events in the Kingdom each year. The first live TV show in Saudi Arabia was the Greatest Royal Rumble in 2018, followed by multiple other events such as Crown Jewel pay-per-view events, Super ShowDown, Elimination Chamber, and Night of Champions. The WWE Experience opened in Riyadh in January, and WWE plans to host two more live events in Saudi Arabia in 2024.
Despite The Undertaker’s appearance lifting spirits, matters on the pitch soon turned sour for Al-Nassr, with Ronaldo playing 90 minutes and picking up a booking in a convincing defeat from Al-Hilal, with goals from Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Salem Aldawsari.
