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Who is Ricardo Monreal? The Mexican Who Hit Messi with Ronaldo’s Siuuu

Ricardo Monreal

On August 2nd, Inter Miami hosted Necaxa in a crucial match for the knockout places in the Leagues Cup. What unfolded was a dramatic encounter that would thrust a young Mexican forward into the spotlight for all the right reasons—and then all the wrong ones.

Ricardo Monreal came on in the 73rd min and after just 8 minutes on the pitch put the Mexican side ahead against the MLS juggernauts. He would then go on to dominate headlines but not for his goal rather his controversial celebration.

Standing in front of Inter Miami’s home crowd, Monreal chose to perform Cristiano Ronaldo’s iconic “Siuuu” celebration—arms extended after a mid-air spin, complete with the trademark pose.

This was a deliberate invocation of Lionel Messi’s greatest rival’s signature move, performed directly in front of the Argentine legend’s adopted home crowd. The celebration instantly went viral on social media but football has a way of humbling those who dare to be too bold.

Just as Monreal’s celebration seemed destined to become the defining image of the match, tragedy struck Los Rayos. In the 92nd minute Jordi Alba found the back of the net to equalize for Inter Miami.

The cruel irony was complete when Necaxa eventually lost to Miami on penalties. Even the MLS admin would take a dig at the Mexican with the aforementioned tweet.

Who is Ricardo Monreal?

Hailing from Zacatecas, Mexico, Ricardo Saúl Monreal Morales was born on February 10, 2001. He like many ambitious youngsters would have to make a difficult choice. He would have to leave his parents at the age of 13 to venture on his journey to becoming a professional footballer.

The 16-year-old would score his first goal for Alebrijes de Oaxaca in a 2-1 loss to Leones Negros. Shortly after in an interview Ricardo would say “Without a doubt, the biggest challenge I faced as a footballer was leaving home and my parents, and making the sacrifice of not experiencing many of the things that a teenager would want to do with their dad or mom. “I chose my life this way. Growing up on my own has been worth it , often wishing I had my parents around, but with rewards like the goal I scored against the Leones Negros.”

The Mexican relies on the advice of his parents and coaches, like Irving Rubirosa, who gave him a phrase that still rings true in his head. “Quality is measured by ability, not age. Go out and show what you’re capable of,” he said.

Ricardo was a huge fan of Chicharito and Real Madrid. Which is also where he would begin to idolise Cristiano Ronaldo and then score against his Rival and hit his iconic celebration.

He would progress from Alebrijes de Oaxaca and would leave them to join Atlas Guadalajara where he would develop for 2 years before joining boyhood club Oaxaca. Necaxa’s academy would then sign the youngster in 2018. After two years at the academy level, he was sent on loan back to his boyhood side Oaxaca, playing in the Mexican second division. He would score 5 goals in 30 appearances for the side—a respectable return that showed promise but hardly suggested future headlines.

However, 2022 marked a turning point. Rather than being sent out on another loan, Monreal would finally get his chance to play for Los Rayos at the senior level. This decision would prove transformative for both player and club.

Personal Life

The Mexican lives a very quite and humble life. On social media, all his posts are regarding his matches. He never shows off his cars/wealth. Instead mostly posting about his family and loved ones. Sharing photos about them celebrating Christmas together as a family. His profile picture being a picture of him holding his jersey with his parents by side, emphasizes that his parents have meant everything to him even after making it to the big stage.

He would also post about his visit to the Bernabeu stadium in 2023. Clicking a picture next to Real Madrid’s 14th UCL trophy. The comments on the post unsurprisingly have been filled with Messi fans mocking his loss to Messi’s Inter Miami.

As Monreal continues with Necaxa and Mexico’s national team, that night in Miami will remind him of football’s oldest truth: let your performance do the talking.



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