Why the Undertaker was at Al Nassr vs Al Hilal | OneFootball

Highlights

WWE Hall of Famer The Undertaker has swapped Wrestlemania for the Saudi Pro League as he appeared ahead of the Riyadh Season Cup final between Al-Nassr and Al-Hial – much to the delight of Cristiano Ronaldo.

In what is perhaps one of the most bizarre crossovers in recent memory, the seven-time world champion recreated his famous ring walk before kick-off. He was even seen in the infamous 'deadman' attire for the first time since he officially announced his retirement in 2020.

With lightning visuals being shone around the stadium and pyrotechnics galore, the man who once went 21-0 at the grandest stage of them all caused hysteria among the live crowd and confusion online. However, his presence ahead of kick-off has since been explained.

The Undertaker set to hand out the Riyadh Season Cup

The Deadman could've presented the award to Cristiano Ronaldo

The reason for Mark Callaway's (The Undertaker's real name) appearance is that he is set to present the trophy to the winning team at the full-time whistle.

While the decision to bring in a WWE superstar to hand out the award may seem bizarre, the character is beloved in Saudi Arabia. He has featured in many high-profile matches in the country since the wrestling promotion began doing shows in the region in 2018.

It wasn't just the fans who were excited, as one clip showed Ronaldo seemingly in awe of the proceedings taking place directly in front of him.

Al-Hilal vs Al-Nassr

The Riyadh Season Cup final

After the pre-match spectacle came to an end, the top two in the Saudi Pro League got down to business as league leaders Al-Hilal took on Ronaldo's Al-Nassr.

In what was a very one-sided start, it seemed as though the presence of The Undertaker had turned 'the Global ones' into zombies as Al-Hilal got off to a storming start. Former Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic gave the title favourites the lead after just 15 minutes as a swift breakaway down the right-hand side saw the ball cut back to the Serbian who slotted the ball into the far corner.

The lead was then doubled as Salem Aldawsari ran through the middle of the opposition defence before delicately chipping the ball over Raghed Al-Najjar from distance. The fine goal was topped off by an even better acrobatic celebration.

Despite their best efforts, the likes of Ronaldo and Sadio Mane were unable to inspire Al-Nassr, meaning we were robbed of seeing one of the GOATs from football and GOATs of pro-wrestling come face to face for the trophy ceremony.