Police in search of culprit who set Cristiano Ronaldo’s statue ablaze and made a video

A new statue of Cristiano Ronaldo was installed at Madeira's international airport, replacing a widely ridiculed bronze bust by local artist Emanuel Santos.

The 11-foot effigy has been a point of discussion since its creation, with some noting its prominent bulge and others claiming it bears little resemblance to the football icon.

The original sculpture, unveiled in March 2017, became an internet sensation and drew global mockery.

The footage, posted to his Instagram account, shows the man performing an erratic dance to loud rap music as flames engulf the statue, which is located outside the CR7 Museum in Funchal.

The suspect filmed himself dousing the bronze sculpture with a flammable liquid before igniting it, as reported by Daily Mail.

In a strange message accompanying the video, the man, who identifies himself as a "person, freestyler and local man," wrote: "This is God's last warning."

A spokesperson for the PSP police force in Funchal confirmed that the suspect has been identified. 

"The author of this crime has been identified," a source told local media. "He is known here because of similar earlier situations."

It is not yet clear if the statue sustained permanent damage. While the flames initially covered the entire sculpture, they reportedly subsided quickly.

 A representative for the CR7 Museum stated that the matter is now in the hands of the police and declined further comment.

This is not the first time the statue has been targeted. In 2016, it was defaced by vandals who painted "Messi" and the number 10 on its back after the Argentine star won the Ballon d'Or over Ronaldo. 

Meanwhile, Ronaldo added another individual honour to his extensive collection on Sunday, winning the Middle East Player of the Year at the 2025 Globe Soccer Awards in Dubai.