Palmeiras Defender Murilo Left Red-Faced After Taunting Messi With Ronaldo Jibe

A Palmeiras footballer who promised to perform Cristiano Ronaldo’s iconic ‘SIU’ celebration if he scored against Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami suffered an embarrassing fate during the two teams’ FIFA Club World Cup match on Monday night. Both the Brazilian and MLS sides qualified for the knockout stages of the competition following their 2–2 draw, though the Argentine legend appeared to be left frustrated after his side let a two-goal lead slip in the final 10 minutes.

Defender Murilo Cerqueira made headlines before the game, claiming that he was a bigger fan of Ronaldo than Messi, stoking the fire for what was already an important clash for the two teams’ future in the competition. However, Murilo’s comments would eventually come back to haunt him.

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The defender was forced to eat humble pie after his bold words

Prior to the game, Murilo stated in the pre-match press conference that he was ‘team Ronaldo,’ explaining why he preferred the former Real Madrid star to his long-time rival.

“I’m team Ronaldo. He’s a complete player. Even his attitude on the field is something I see as a positive. What really makes him stand out is his discipline. I try to follow that – his routine, his mindset. I really admire him.”

He would go one step further, revealing that if he were able to score, he would celebrate like his idol to rub salt in the wounds of the opposition number 10.

Those words would come back to haunt him, though. While he was somewhat responsible for the ball finding the back of the net, it was not in the way he would’ve wished. Just after a quarter of an hour, Miami set off on a lethal counterattack as the much-criticised Luis Suarez played through Tade Allende, who bore down on goal.

Murilo was one of several defenders who desperately chased the onrushing winger down, but instead of making a crucial tackle, he collapsed to the floor with an injury, forcing him to be substituted. To make matters worse, Allende was clinical in front of goal and gave Miami the lead.

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While the nature of the injury has not yet been revealed, footage appears to indicate that it was his hamstring that caused the problem, suggesting he could miss the rest of the tournament.

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