The first projectile struck Otavio in the face, causing him to fall to the ground. Ronaldo, visibly angered by the incident, raised his arms in protest along with his teammates, drawing attention to the unruly behaviour of the spectators.
The situation escalated further when Al-Ahli fans began chanting 'Messi, Messi, Messi' and launched additional balloons towards the Al-Nassr players. Alex Telles, a former Manchester United player, attempted to retaliate by throwing a broken balloon back into the crowd, only to see it being thrown back at him.