Cristiano Ronaldo statue set on fire in his hometown

Dubai: In a bizarre incident in Portugal, a man set fire to a statue of football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo in Funchal, Madeira, while filming himself carrying out the act.

The suspect, who identifies himself on social media as “zaino.tcc.filipe,” shared a video showing him pouring a flammable liquid over the bronze sculpture before setting it alight outside the CR7 Museum in Ronaldo’s hometown. In the clip, the influencer described the act as “God’s final warning.”

The statue, a replica of Ronaldo, had been relocated to its current spot in 2016 after being vandalised by fans.

After the video circulated online, Madeira police confirmed they had identified the suspect, noting that he was known to authorities due to involvement in similar incidents in the past. Metro UK later reported that Portuguese authorities had made an arrest in connection with the case.

The Madeira Regional Command of the Public Security Police said the situation had been “successfully resolved” and thanked members of the public for their assistance, calling their cooperation essential to the operation’s outcome.

On Instagram, the suspect describes himself as “a human being, a freestyle artist and a local.”

Ronaldo, who currently plays for Saudi club Al Nassr, is expected to be part of Portugal’s squad for the upcoming World Cup in North America this summer.