In the decisive final of the Saudi Arabian Super Cup, Cristiano Ronaldo saw his chance to win his first title of the season slip away as Al Nassr lost 1-4 to Al-Hilal. Despite a promising start, which saw Ronaldo score a goal just a minute before half-time, standout performances from Serbian players Aleksandar Mitrovic and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic turned the game in Al-Hilal’s favour.
In addition to his remarkable performances and moves, fans believe that Ronaldo’s defeat was due to his decision to touch the trophy before the match, which gave credence to the legend that “you should never touch the trophy before playing in the final.” Although this is a myth in sports, history shows several instances where the curse seems to have come true. Here are some prominent examples:
- Gatusso On 25 May 2005, AC Milan suffered when Italian midfielder Gattuso touched the trophy. Despite leading 0-3 at half-time, Liverpool equalised 3-3 in the second half and won 1-3 on penalties, completing a historic comeback.
- Dimitri Payet In the Europa League final between Olympique de Marseille and Atlético de Madrid, Payet not only faced a 0-3 defeat, but also had to leave the game injured after 32 minutes.
- Marinho On January 30, 2021, Brazilian right winger Marinho of Santos touched the trophy before the Copa Libertadores final against Palmeiras, and his team lost to a goal by Breno Lopes in extra time.
- Giuly Ludovic Giuly has experienced the curse in two Champions League finals. In 2004, playing for Monaco, he touched the trophy before the match against Porto and lost 3–0. However, in 2006, with Barcelona, he touched the cup before the match against Arsenal and won 2–1, breaking the curse.
- Cristiano Ronaldo Despite repeatedly stating that the trophy should not be touched before the final, Cristiano Ronaldo did just that in the recent Saudi Arabia Super Cup. The curse came true for the Portuguese star, who, despite scoring a goal, saw his team lose.
