Cristiano Ronaldo walked onto the pitch for Real Madrid's league game against Granada with the son of the Syrian refugee tripped by a Hungarian journalist.

Osama Alabed Al-Mohsen and his 7-year-old son Zied became international symbols of the refugee crisis when Hungarian camera operator Petra Laszlo was filmed knocking them over as they tried to escape a holding camp, sending them tumbling to the ground.

Laszlo was subsequently dismissed from her role at Hungarian television station N1TV and the father and son's story made headlines across the world.

The media attention prompted Real to invite the pair to the Santiago Bernabeu for a tour of the club's trophy room.

On Saturday, they were guests of honour for the visit of Granada and Zied accompanied Ronaldo before the kick-off, receiving rapturous applause from the Bernabeu crowd in the process.


The father Osama worked as a football coach in Syria and will now continue his career with CENAFE, a national coaching school based in Getafe. CENAFE will pay for Al-Mohsen and his two sons to live in Spain, while also helping them to apply for asylum.

"It's a dream come true," said Mr A-Mohsen on Thursday. "I love Real Madrid, they're my favourite team and my whole family's too.

"I'm very grateful for the welcome given to us by the president. In Syria we dreamt of seeing a Real Madrid match, and now that's going to come true. I'm really happy."

Earlier this month, Real donated €1m to help refugees arriving in Spain, and are one of many top European football clubs to lend their support to the thousands currently fleeing war-torn countries.

AS A NIGERIAN, I PRAY THAT GOD(ALLAH) WILL TURN YOUR TRAGEDY INTO MASSIVE FAME

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