Fans have been left in stitches after Cristiano Ronaldo appeared to have a replica of the World Cup in the background of a video on his new Youtube channel - but it turns out the trophy has a very good reason for being there.
In order to connect more closely with his fans worldwide, the Portuguese superstar unveiled his latest project on the video-sharing platform and has already earned more than 15 million subscribers.
The channel includes 19 videos, with the most popular titled: 'Discover EVERYTHING about us. Who will win?' The content will mainly focus on his life off the football field, featuring his wife Georgina Rodriguez and his son Cristiano Ronaldo Jr.
Despite the set being dimly lit and possessing very few personal affects, one shiny gold object has caught fans by surprise as it sits proudly on the former Real Madrid icon's mantelpiece.
But it turns out the trophy is not actually the World Cup, the one honour which has eluded Ronaldo in a glittering career, but actually the remarkably similar-looking Arab Club Champions Cup.
Fans have been left in stitches after Cristiano Ronaldo appeared to have a replica of the World Cup in the background of a video on his new Youtube channel
Cristiano Ronaldo's latest video-sharing project has already broken a world record
In order to connect more closely with his fans worldwide, the Portuguese superstar unveiled his latest project on the video-sharing platform
One shiny gold object has caught fans by surprise as it sits proudly on the former Real Madrid icon's mantelpiece
His new YouTube channel has set a world record for gaining more than one million followers in less than 90 minutes after its launch
Either way, fans have taken to social media to express their amusement with the inclusion of the item with some saying the forward 'can only dream' of owning the real thing.
One user replied to a post which circles the trophy, lurking in the shadows of the room, saying: 'Is that a World Cup replica?'
Another simply added, 'Nah', along with two crying emojis.
A third suggested Ronaldo might get away with the ploy.
'People who watch YouTube don't know much about football so they will be fooled into thinking Ronaldo has the World Cup,' they said.
A number of users ruthlessly mocked the Portuguese legend for his decision to have the trophy in the background with one saying, 'Bro created his own World Cup'.
Another posted: 'No way bro can only dream of it.'
A couple of fans pointed out that the trophy was genuine, with Ronaldo having got his hands on the Arab Club Champions Cup this year, but they were in the minority.
One said: 'They redesigned the trophy for him to make it look more like the World Cup.'
The striker's project has already broken a world record, gaining one million followers in less than 90 minutes after its launch, setting the record for the largest number of subscribers in an hour.
As he approaches his 40th birthday in February, Ronaldo has been enduring a tough time at current Saudi side, Al-Nassr.
Fans have taken to social media to express their amusement with the inclusion of the item
Previously, reports from Mail Sport indicated that the Portuguese is hurt by poor results and lack of trophies, which has led to visible frustration with his teammates. Ronaldo refused to collect the Saudi Super Cup silver medal after his team's 4-1 defeat by Al-Hilal on Saturday.
However, with a lucrative £175million-per-year deal signed in January 2023, the striker seems to be enjoying his spare time in Riyadh, revealing to fans his passions outside of the most popular sport in the world.
Videos on his channel also disclose his love for other sports, with conversations often revolving around comparing sports and their stars, including Rafael Nadal or Novak Djokovic, Boxing or UFC and NBA or NFL.