Cristiano Ronaldo may want to avoid Iran for a while.
Iranian media reports that several lawsuits were filed against the Al-Nassr star after he hugged and kissed artist Fatima Hamimi on the cheek to thank her for a gift of two paintings.
According to Mundo Deportivo, Ronaldo could receive 99 lashes as punishment for adultery by touching a woman while he was in a relationship.
The video of their meeting was shared by Al-Nassr’s official Instagram account, reports the NY Post.
The 38-year-old Portuguese striker has been with girlfriend Georgina Rodriguez since 2016, sharing two children, Alana Martina and Bella Esmeralda, with the model, as well as twins born via surrogate in 2017.
He also has a son, born in 2010 to an unknown mother.
Ronaldo and Hamimi shared their moment when Al-Nassr traveled to Tehran to play Persepolis for an Asian Champions League group stage match.
Hamimi, who is said to be 85 percent paralyzed and paints with her feet, was one of many fans who showered Ronaldo with gifts.
Ronaldo, who signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with the Saudi club worth $75 million a year, could be pardoned by a judge if “the acts are not punishable or if Ronaldo shows remorse” , according to Marca.
Al-Nassr will not play Iran again in the group stage of the tournament, but could do so again if both teams qualify for the knockout stage.
This wouldn’t be the first time Ronaldo has run into legal trouble.
He was accused of tax evasion in 2017 and received a two-year suspended prison sentence and a fine of €18.8 million, later reduced to €16.8 million.
This month, the lawyer for a woman who claimed the soccer star raped her in Las Vegas in 2009 asked the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to reverse the dismissal of the case in June 2022 and reopen the civil case filed in 2018.
Ronaldo is one of football’s top scorers, having won five Ballon d’Or awards as the world’s best footballer during a 20-year career that saw him wear the colors of Manchester United, Real Madrid and of Juventus, as well as captain of the team. Men’s club of Portugal.
This article was originally published in the NY Post and was reprinted with permission.
