Police Hunt Suspect After Arson on Cristiano Ronaldo Statue

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Funchal: Portuguese police are searching for a suspect who set fire to a bronze statue of football star Cristiano Ronaldo outside the CR7 Museum in Funchal, authorities confirmed on Tuesday.

The incident occurred in the early hours of the morning when a man poured a flammable liquid over the statue and ignited it. The suspect filmed the act and later posted the footage on Instagram, accompanied by the caption: “This is God’s last warning.”

Police said the suspect has been identified but had not been arrested as of Tuesday. A spokesperson for the Public Security Police (PSP) told local media that the individual is known to authorities due to previous incidents of a similar nature.

The statue, an 11-foot bronze sculpture unveiled by Ronaldo in 2014, is located outside the CR7 Museum in the footballer’s hometown. It remains unclear whether the artwork sustained permanent damage, though officials said the fire was quickly contained.

The CR7 Museum declined to comment, saying the matter is being handled by police.

This is not the first time the statue has been targeted. In 2016, it was vandalised with graffiti by rival football fans, prompting it to be relocated to its current site for greater security.

Cristiano Ronaldo, a five-time Ballon d’Or winner, continues to maintain strong ties to Madeira despite currently playing for Saudi club Al-Nassr. Authorities said investigations into the latest incident are ongoing.