Cristiano Ronaldo did not miss Al-Nassr’s clash with Iranian side Esteghlal due to claims he would face 99 lashes for adultery, the country’s embassy has claimed.
The Portuguese superstar missed his side’s trip to Tehran in the Asian Champions League on Monday.
Ronaldo also missed the Saudi side’s clash with Persepolis, also based in Tehran last month.
It had previously been reported that the 40-year-old would face ’99 lashes for adultery’ after an interaction with a disabled fan.
Ronaldo met with Iranian painter Fatima Hamami in 2023 and greeted her with a hug and a kiss. That saw him break Iranian law it is said, as touching a married woman is considered to be adulterous.
A spokesperson from the nation’s embassy has refuted such claims, however. They even went as far as to praise the interaction between Ronaldo and Hamami, declaring it ‘sincere’.
“We strongly deny the issuance of any court ruling against any international athlete in Iran,” they told talkSPORT. “His sincere and humane meeting with Fatima Hamami was also praised and admired by both the people and the country’s sports authorities.”
Reports in Saudi Arabia have suggested Ronaldo actually missed the clash due to muscle fatigue.
Amid the initial claims that Ronaldo was set to face a punishment, Hamami, who paints with her feet, defended the ex-Manchester United and Real Madrid forward. Their meeting saw the artist present a portrait of the player, while Ronaldo offered one of his shirts.
Hamami expressed her appreciation for their interaction. “Unemployed lawyers made accusations against him without my or my family’s permission,” she said in 2023.
“In Iran he has committed a crime for hugging me, while we have never had any complaints… I am very grateful to Ronaldo for his love and love towards me. I hope the best happens to him in life and football.
“No one told him anything about the laws of Iran and he didn’t know it either, but Ronaldo’s hug was for his love and brotherhood, and he had no bad intentions.
“My family and I have no complaints about this issue, we just want to deny these accusations against Cristiano.”
