Police in Madeira are hunting a vandal who filmed himself setting fire to a bronze statue of Cristiano Ronaldo outside the CR7 Museum in Funchal. The dishevelled individual poured flammable liquid over the sculpture before performing a bizarre dance to rap music. He posted the footage to Instagram with the strange caption: “This is God’s last warning.” The suspect has been identified but not yet caught.
Bizarre stunt posted to social media
A bronze statue of football icon Ronaldo has been targeted in a bizarre arson attack on his home island of Madeira. On Tuesday morning, a vandal was seen on camera dousing the 11ft effigy in flammable liquid before setting it alight outside the CR7 Museum in Funchal.
The perpetrator, who filmed the stunt himself, captured the moment flames engulfed the sculpture. As the fire took hold, the individual backed away to perform a frantic dance to blaring rap music. The footage concludes with the vandal making obscene gestures towards the statue, thrusting his groin and sticking his middle finger up at the bronze likeness, which was unveiled by the Al-Nassr striker himself in 2014.
Ominous Instagram warning
The outlandish video was subsequently uploaded to Instagram by a user identifying himself as a “freestyler and local man”. In a disturbing caption accompanying the clip, the vandal wrote: “This is God’s last warning.”
The post immediately drew fury from Ronaldo’s legion of fans, with many condemning the act as a desperate plea for attention. It remains unclear if the statue has suffered permanent damage, though the flames appeared to die down quickly after the initial flare-up.
Police identify serial troublemaker
Authorities in Funchal have moved quickly to investigate the incident. A source from the PSP police force confirmed to local press that the suspect has already been identified, noting that he is “known here because of similar earlier situations”. However, officers are yet to track him down.
A spokesperson for the CR7 Museum stated that the matter is being handled by the police and refused to comment further. This is not the first time the statue, famous for its generous physical proportions, has attracted unwanted attention; it was moved to its current location in 2016 after being vandalised by fans of Lionel Messi.
A history of statue controversies
This specific bronze work is separate from the infamous airport bust that made headlines worldwide for its questionable likeness to the Portuguese superstar. When this museum statue was first defaced in 2016 with Messi’s name and number, Ronaldo’s sister, Katia Aveiro, launched a scathing attack on the “savages” responsible, claiming they should be sent to Syria for their lack of respect.
“I find the act in itself a dishonour but what I find more shameful is the envy that surrounds him and the rage that some unloved and frustrated fatheads display in public in a disgraceful way which leaves me as a Portuguese person ashamed and sad,” she said.
“The people that are responsible for this and other negative things directed towards this person should know that our island was recently voted the world’s leading island destination not just for the beautiful sea that surrounds us or for our marvellous gastronomy or even the warm Madeiran welcome.
“It was in part thanks to this great Madeiran figure that honours his origins.
“Sadly my beautiful island is still inhabited by some frustrated savages who should live in Syria amidst people who don’t respect each other and who don’t know how to live together.”
While the forward is currently playing in the Saudi Pro League, his presence remains strong in Madeira. It remains to be seen if the family will respond to this latest act of vandalism directed at the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.
