“Acts humble when there are cameras”, “Messi would never” - Fans react as new footage shows Cristiano Ronaldo reaction to Euro 2024 pitch invader
Fans have taken to social media to question Cristiano Ronaldo's behavior, with some comparing him to Lionel Messi, following the manner in which he reacted to a pitch invader. During Portugal's EURO 2024 clash with Turkey, a number of pitch invaders entered the field at different times to interact with Ronaldo.
A total of six fans invaded the pitch, with the players looking very unhappy about the regular interruptions, as security personnel struggled to do their jobs. While the Selecao secured a win over Turkey, handing them a 3-0 beating to qualify for knockouts, the focus was on the pitch invasions.
This led to Portugal raising the issue of security, with head coach Roberto Martinez stating after the game (via The Guardian):
“I don’t think that should happen on a football pitch. There is a lot of security and a lot of protection and it should not happen. And probably we should give a message to the fans that it’s not the right way; you’re not going to get anything out of it and probably the measures will get worse for the future. It’s not good to have the players so exposed when people are running on the pitch.”
While the first pitch invader, a young boy, ran onto the pitch and managed to get a selfie with Cristiano Ronaldo, other invaders were treated with less care. Late in the game, while waiting for a Turkey corner, a pitch invader ran to the forward to get a selfie but Ronaldo pushed him off before stewards held him down:
Fans took to social media to react, with some comparing his behavior to that of Lionel Messi:
"The facts he only acts humble when there are cameras on him is crazy..." one fan claimed.
"A full grown man shouldn’t be doing this kind of stuff. Disgraceful!" another mentioned.
"Lmfao 😂😂😂😂 he only acts humble when he is winning or he wants attention. Man we can't beat this guys Instagram tactics 😭" another fan mocked.
"Messi would never. Cristiano hates his fans," another fan wrote.
"All the media shows you about Ronaldo are the positive gestures to portray him as a humble guy," said a Messi fan.
"Humble gimmick only when the cameras are on him," another fan commented.
Here are some more reactions:
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are now playing outside Europe
After lengthy careers playing at the highest level of world football, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are now plying their trades outside of Europe. The duo won an impressive 13 Ballon d'Or awards between them, spanning a decade of dominance.
However, they are now in their late 30s, with Messi recently celebrating his 37th birthday (June 24) and Cristiano Ronaldo nearing 40. However, this has not stopped them from impressing on the field.
Ronaldo broke the league goalscoring record in Saudi Arabia with 35 goals last season. His Argentine counterpart has scored 12 goals in 12 MLS games this season, and both players are currently leading their respective countries in continental tournaments this summer.