“His head has gone”, “Shameless with a loud mouth” - Fans slam Cristiano Ronaldo for changing opinion on World Cup after failing to find success
Fans on X have criticized Al-Nassr superstar Cristiano Ronaldo for changing his opinion on the World Cup following Portugal's 2-1 win against Croatia in the UEFA Nations League (September 5). The 39-year-old claimed winning the Euros was the equivalent of lifting the World Cup and that he was no longer motivated by achieving the latter.
Portugal got off to a bright start in Group A, defeating Croatia via goals from Diogo Dalot (7') and Cristiano Ronaldo (34'). The former netted an own goal just before half-time to make it 2-1 but they held on to their lead to seal the win.
Ronaldo made history by scoring and registering his 900th goal across all competitions for club and country. Following the game, the Portugal skipper stated (via Fabrizio Romano):
“Portugal winning Euros is equivalent to winning a World Cup. I've already won two trophies for Portugal that I really wanted. I'm not motivated by that. I'm motivated by enjoying football and the records come naturally”.
Cristiano Ronaldo has won two trophies for Portugal - Euro 2016 and the 2019 Nations League. However, he has notably failed to win the World Cup in five attempts - a feat his rival, Lionel Messi, achieved during the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Many fans were left unimpressed by his comments on the World Cup, with one posting:
"Shameless with a loud mouth."
Another fan tweeted:
"His head has gone."
Check out how other fans reacted to Ronaldo's comments below:
"He is literally the most shameless athlete in history," one fan commented.
"This guy is shameless," another added.
"Same guy who had and interview with Piers Morgan saying he wish to play the World Cup final. No Shame," one fan posted.
"Man child," one fan tweeted.
"Dreams change but his position as the 4th greatest player of all time will never change," another chimed in.
"We never expected anything good from him," one insisted.
"Playing that many games probably cost Portugal" - Pundit believes Cristiano Ronaldo is holding Portugal back despite reaching 900-goal record
Former Aston Villa forward Gabby Agbonlahor reckons Cristiano Ronaldo is holding Portugal back despite the latter inspiring A Selecao to a 2-1 win against Croatia.
Cristiano Ronaldo is arguably the greatest international footballer of all time, registering 131 goals and 45 assists in 213 appearances across all competitions - the most in the men's game.
However, Agbonlahor used Ronaldo's performances at Euro 2024 to make his argument. He said (via talkSPORT):
“If you watched him in the Euros, we forget don’t we, that he didn’t do anything. He probably hindered other players being played. I think him playing that many games probably cost Portugal. I know people will say that’s harsh and it’s not his fault, but you know, you had your time. You’ve still got what it takes, but have you got what it takes at the highest level any more?"
He added:
“There’s a reason why he’s playing in Saudi Arabia, there’s a reason why he got let go at Manchester United, there’s a reason why he’s not playing in Europe. I just think Portugal have got so many exciting players that were left on the bench during that Euros.”
Cristiano Ronaldo had a below-par Euro 2024 campaign, scoring zero goals and providing just one assist in five appearances as France knocked Portugal out in the quarter-finals.