Football is a sport that transcends countries and races, uniting everyone against the right team that is. When one of the hottest football players meets Malaysia’s hit 2.5 billion-view drama (which previously went viral for a disturbing scene), you get a little kick out of your worlds colliding.
Last weekend, Manchester United had us really guessing who runs their Instagram account as the English Premier League giant captured the attention of fans in Southeast Asia, particularly in Malaysia and Indonesia, after a cheeky reference to the hit Malaysian drama “Bidaah” went viral on social media.
The unexpected crossover happened on the club’s official Instagram account, where a short video clip featured football legend Cristiano Ronaldo in his signature meditative pose—arms crossed and eyes closed. However, what made the post truly stand out wasn’t the image, it was the caption that came with it. Taken from the hit drama was the line, “Close your eyes, Imagine my face. Don’t stop until I tell you to,” but that was not all, the real kicker was “Imagine Ronaldo (yes), imagine Walid (no)“.
The reference to Walid, the main antagonist from “Bidaah”, struck a chord with Malaysian and Indonesian fans. Many Malaysians were left questioning whether the person behind the post is “…one of us (Malaysians), how else would they know that line?”. Even Viu Malaysia, the streaming platform the drama series was released on dropped in on the action, letting people know where to find this “Walid”.
Since its release on 6th March via Viu, “Bidaah” has taken Malaysia and Indonesia by storm. The drama dominated streaming charts, sitting at number one for five consecutive weeks, and has garnered an astounding 2.5 billion views. It has even surpassed the popularity of international titles like Korea’s “The Glory”, cementing itself as a phenomenon in the region.
Sources: Instagram, Jakarta Globe
Gan contributed to this article.
