What??! Ronaldo misses Asian Champions League match in Iran due to possible punishment of 99 lashes?
Yasmine Green
Dailysports's expert
Translated by the editors
The star of Saudi Al-Nassr, Cristiano Ronaldo, missed the Asian Champions League match in Tehran, Iran, against Esteghlal, which immediately caught the attention of fans. As reported by the Daily Mail, there was even speculation that it might be related to a possible punishment for the Portuguese player in the form of 99 lashes for violating the law on adultery.
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Notably, the incident for which Ronaldo faced potential punishment occurred back in September 2023. At that time, the footballer met with his fan, Iranian artist Fatima Hamimi, who is disabled. The young woman is known for painting with her feet and has created numerous portraits of the Portuguese star.
During the meeting with the young woman, Cristiano greeted her in the European tradition, with hugs and a kiss on the cheek. In Iran, however, such contact with a woman is considered a violation of the law on adultery, which can result in a punishment of 99 lashes.
However, a representative of the Iranian embassy denied this rumor, stating that the country has no complaints against Ronaldo.
At the same time, the Saudi Gazette reported that the Portuguese player's absence from the match was due to muscle fatigue.
