RIYADH: Vinicius Junior has dedicated his Spanish Super Cup final hat-trick celebrations to “idol” Cristiano Ronaldo, as his three first-half goals helped earn Real Madrid a memorable 4-1 El Clasico triumph over Barcelona in Riyadh on Sunday.

Wearing the white No. 7 shirt that once adorned the five-time Ballon d’Or winner, Vini Jr. opened the scoring in the seventh minute, then ran to the corner flag and performed Ronaldo’s famous “SIUUU!” (meaning “Yes” in Portuguese) celebration.

With the Spanish Super Cup being played at Al-Awwal Park, the home ground of Al-Nassr star Ronaldo, the celebration brought ecstatic cheers from the Los Blancos fans.

The Brazilian attacker netted a second goal two minutes later, then added a third from the penalty spot in the 39th minute after Robert Lewandowski had pulled one back for Barcelona. Fellow Brazilian Rodrygo added a fourth goal for Real Madrid in the second half.

Man of the match Vini Jr. said: “The celebration was dedicated to Cristiano Ronaldo, because he is my idol and now he plays here. Ronaldo is a role model for me, and playing at this level is something I aspire to. I want to continue at this level and always learn new things. Daily improvement is a real victory for me.

“I am happy to win this tournament and our performance was exceptional. I thank my teammates, coach, and the technical team who helped me shine this season.

“The match was tough, but we handled it well throughout. I am happy with the team; they are capable of winning any tournament. The important thing is the harmony and confidence between us. We have more than 25 players ready to represent the club in the best way. Today we secured the Super Cup, and tomorrow we will continue our journey to win the remaining titles.”

Real Madrid’s win — the fourth time the Spanish Super Cup has been presented on Saudi Arabia soil — was revenge for last year’s final in Riyadh, where Barcelona ran out 3-1 victors. Los Blancos booked their place in this year’s final by coming from behind to defeat city rivals Atletico Madrid 5-3 after extra time on Wednesday.

Real Madrid were also winners of the first two Spanish Super Cups held in Saudi Arabia, beating Atletico Madrid on penalties in Jeddah in 2020, and Athletic Bilbao 2-0 in Riyadh in 2022.