Social media sensation iShowSpeed, also known as Darren Jason Watkins Jr, was tricked into believing Cristiano Ronaldo was at the 2023 Ballon d’Or ceremony, leading to a viral video.

The 18-year-old, known for his admiration of Ronaldo, had expressed disappointment with Lionel Messi winning his eighth Ballon d’Or. He reacted, saying, “What! Messi, man. Ain’t no way, man. Not Ronaldo?”

However, Ronaldo was not on the Ballon d’Or shortlist and thus was not present at the prestigious award ceremony in Paris. Another YouTuber, Fukay1070, played a prank on Speed by pretending Ronaldo was in the audience, causing Speed to excitedly scan the room for his idol before realizing it was a joke.

Speed had encounters with other sporting icons at the event, including Argentine goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez and tennis legend Novak Djokovic. Djokovic humorously claimed to be a new AC Milan star, which Speed initially believed.

Despite the excitement, the evening belonged to Messi, who won the Ballon d’Or for the eighth time. Messi was followed by Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe in the rankings, while Kevin De Bruyne finished fourth. In the women’s category, Aitana Bonmati of Barcelona won the Ballon d’Or.