N’Golo Kante has gone viral after appearing to snub Cristiano Ronaldo in the pre-match handshakes before Al-Ittihad’s Saudi Pro League meeting with Al-Nassr last week.
– ADEVERTISEMENT –
In the clip, Ronaldo warmly embraced former Real Madrid teammate Karim Benzema and shook hands with Fabinho. But when it came to Kante, the French midfielder walked straight past the five-time Ballon d’Or winner without acknowledgement, sparking debate among fans online.
On the pitch, Sadio Mane stole the show with a vintage display, scoring in Al-Nassr’s 2–0 win over the defending champions. Ronaldo also found the net as Jorge Jesus’ side maintained their 100% start to the league campaign and opened up a three-point lead at the top.
The fallout continued for Al-Ittihad, who announced the departure of head coach Laurent Blanc just 24 hours later. The Jeddah giants are now searching for a new manager, with reports linking them to big names including former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp.
For now, though, social media is still buzzing over Kante’s apparent cold shoulder toward Ronaldo — a moment fans have replayed countless times since the final whistle.