Because of Núñez's kick: Ronaldo mocks Al-Hilal once again!

A surprise move

Cristiano Ronaldo has stirred controversy involving Al-Hilal once again. The Al-Nassr captain appeared in a widely circulated video talking to Uruguayan striker Darwin Nunez, moments after the Al-Diriyah forward had appealed for a penalty during the two sides' meeting in the eighth round of the Roshn Saudi Pro League.

Nunez went down inside Al-Nassr's penalty area in the 39th minute after tangling with one of "Al-Alami's" defenders, then appealed for the spot-kick. The referee reviewed the incident on video technology and waved play on, despite objections to the decision.

Ronaldo approached Nunez during one of the corner kicks and struck up a side conversation about the incident. The scene lit up social media, with followers reading it as the Portuguese mocking the non-award of the penalty, hinting the decision might have gone the other way had the striker been wearing an Al-Hilal shirt rather than Al-Diriyah's.

That interpretation dragged Al-Hilal straight back into the controversy. Nunez joined Al-Diriyah on loan until the end of the current season after a spell with the blue side, which handed the exchange between the Portuguese star and the Uruguayan striker an extra edge, given the usual sensitivity between the fans of Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal over refereeing decisions.

Here's the catch: for all the talk of Ronaldo mocking Al-Hilal, the words the two players actually swapped are not clearly audible in the clip. That keeps the whole thing in the realm of interpretation rather than any confirmed statement from the Al-Nassr captain.

Read also: Video: Al-Hariafi criticises Al-Nassr player over his behaviour with Ronaldo

The refereeing incident fuelled plenty of debate after the match. Former international referee Saad Al-Kathiri reckoned Nunez did not deserve a penalty, arguing that the positioning of the Al-Nassr defender's hand was not decisive and that playing on was the correct call. One moment in the Al-Nassr and Al-Diriyah clash had become fresh ammunition for the fans of both giants, with refereeing controversy blending into the familiar rivalry between Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr.