The power of fame is such that even a small move becomes a talking point on social media. The sight of soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo wearing a Thobe led to diverse opinions.
Cristiano Ronaldo wearing a Thobe in Riyadh. pic.twitter.com/Zie94SvDKy
— TC (@totalcristiano) August 20, 2023
The thawb also known as thobe or tobe, is an ankle-length robe, usually with long sleeves. With regional variations in name and style, it is commonly worn by locals in the middle east and in Arabic countries. The word ‘thwab’ means garment and is traditionally worn by men.
Cristiano Ronaldo signed for Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr in January 2023 and was welcomed by people with love. The Portuguese captain on and off the pitch was always respectful of the people and their culture. He was recently spotted wearing a thobe, and his fans all across the globe reacted to it.
📸 Cristiano Ronaldo was seen walking in Riyadh with a Thobe (traditional Saudi dress) on. 🇸🇦 pic.twitter.com/4zGrDg2qgD
— TCR. (@TeamCRonaldo) August 20, 2023
The reactions were a mix of good, bad, and comparisons with Inter Miami player Lionel Messi. Some people took the fashion angle, while some resorted to religion while making a comment. A few fans questioned if it was a money move or just Ronaldo adapting to the new culture.
How did the fans react to seeing Cristiano Ronaldo in a Thobe?
One of the fans said “Respect to the goat for respecting the culture of the country“. One of them mentioned on X, saying “Everything looks good on the goat”. The thobe is also an outfit worn by Muslims when they head to the mosque for their prayers.
A fan hinted that Ronaldo could be heading to a mosque and could meet Karim Benzema there. The same fan explained how they would look at each other using a GIF from the 2021 Euros. After the well-wishers, similarly, trolls also came and questioned how much money did he get? and said “He could wear anything for a couple of bucks“.
Benzema seeing Ronaldo at the Masjid pic.twitter.com/PaJz90uQ0C
— Junior ☻ (@JuniorRMCF) August 20, 2023
Although it was a baseless connection. A lot of fans took the religious take on the outfit. Cristiano Ronaldo practices Christianity as his religion and many fans questioned this. One tweeted that “I hope he becomes a Muslim.”
Why did fans compare Cristiano Ronaldo to Lionel Messi?
Above all, Lionel Messi will never be away from a conversation about Cristian Ronaldo. Soon the fans started comparing them again. A fan commented that Messi would never wear something of this sort, and fights began.
A Cristiano fan had to straightaway remind Messi fans that he wore a Bisht after winning the World Cup. A Bisht is a variation of a thobe but is usually worn by officials or people in power. A Bisht is always seen as a special garment. It is rewarded to people for their achievements in certain Arabic countries. Lionel Messi was given a Bisht by the Qatar authorities after he won the 2022 World Cup against France in Qatar.
The Sultan’s Bisht> pic.twitter.com/kdz9SI6skF
— Mavó Revańo (@we_mavo) August 21, 2023
It may be a small move by Cristiano Ronaldo to respect the culture and dress up like the people in Saudi. Yet he caused quite a stir on social media with it. What did you feel about Ronaldo wearing a thobe?