{
  "id": 7608727,
  "title": "Ronaldo laughs off ‘Messi’ chants, but Al Ain have last laugh",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/15/ronaldo-laughs-off-messi-chants-but-al-ain-have-last-laugh",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-15T17:48:35.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Gulf News",
    "slug": "gulf-news",
    "url": "https://gulfnews.com/sport/football/ronaldo-laughs-off-messi-chants-but-al-ain-have-last-laugh-1.500675850"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Cristiano Ronaldo faced Messi chants from Al Ain supporters during their AFC Champions League Elite match at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium. The 41-year-old footballer, known for his calm demeanor, laughed off the chants before clapping back at the supporters. Al Ain fans continued their attempts to disrupt Ronaldo throughout the match. However, teammate Sadio Mané was visibly upset by the Messi chants, indicating the provocation from the home supporters. This is not Ronaldo's first encounter with such behavior in Al Ain; he has faced similar situations in his previous away games. In a March 2024 match against Al Nassr, Messi chants were also heard at the same stadium. Ronaldo's Al Nassr opponents, however, dominated the pitch with goals from Houssine Rahimi, his brother Soufiane Rahimi, and another goal from Soufiane, putting Al Nassr 3-0 up late in the game. To secure a win, Ronaldo and his teammates will need a miraculous comeback.",
  "summary": "Cristiano Ronaldo has heard this one plenty of times before. And it happened again in Al Ain on Tuesday night. Al Ain supporters began chanting “Messi, Messi” towards Ronaldo during the warmups ahead of their AFC Champions League Elite clash against Al Nassr at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium. But the 41 year old did not appear bothered. Ronaldo could be seen laughing at the chants before responding by…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}