Dubai crowd chanted 'Messi, Messi'; Ronaldo shushed them during Al Wasl vs Al Nassr clash

Cristiano Ronaldo is box office. Whenever he steps on the pitch, something is bound to happen, and Dubai got a proper taste of that when Al Nassr faced Al Wasl in the AFC Champions League 2 quarter final.

He lit up the night with his 969th career goal in a commanding 4-0 win, and of course, the Sui celebration followed. The crowd loved it. It was one of those moments that reminds you why he still pulls attention like no one else. For some of them who attended that match, it will be a moment to cherish forever.

AFC Champions League 2 is basically the Asian version of the Europa League, a competition Al Nassr dropped into after missing out on the AFC Champions League qualification. But with the kind of squad they have compared to the teams participating in this tournament, they are clear favourites to win it. Ronaldo had not played earlier in the tournament, but he has decided to step in during the knockout stage, and he has made an impact without any surprise.

He got the first goal and set the tone for the night. Al Nassr were always in control, and the gap in quality showed.

Messi chants, Ronaldo answers back

At 3-0, sections of the Al Wasl crowd started chanting Messi Messi, clearly trying to get under his skin. And Ronaldo, as always, did not ignore it. He turned, shushed the crowd, and held up three fingers, pointing to the scoreline. Classic Ronaldo. Still getting triggered, still responding, still making it about him even at this age of 41. It's pure cinema.

The Ronaldo Messi rivalry just refuses to die. It has defined an entire generation of football, and even now, when both are in the final phase of their careers, it still finds a way to show up.

Messi recently scored a brace for Inter Miami. Ronaldo is still adding to his tally and chasing that 1000 goal mark. Both are still relevant, still delivering, still dominating conversations.

For Ronaldo, this could finally be the season where he wins major silverware in Saudi. Al Nassr are in a strong position in the league and look the team to beat in the AFC Cup as well.

The big questions are still there though. Can he get to 1000 goals? Can he win the World Cup with Portugal?

It's almost certain that he will get to that 1000 goal milestone. Regarding the World Cup, Portugal are definitely one of the favourites with the squad strength they possess.

With Ronaldo, anything can happen. He is an anomaly.