“It’s too boring” - Ronaldo Nazario claims he’d rather watch tennis for 5 hours than a game of football
Former Brazil striker Ronaldo Nazario has made a shocking comment about the current state of football. The legendary forward has claimed that the sport has become so boring that he'd rather watch tennis for much longer.
Ronaldo is one footballing icon who doesn't shy away from making his feelings known about matters regarding the sport. Speaking during an interview with Eurosport, the World Cup winner said that football doesn't capture much of his attention anymore while discussing his newly found love for tennis.
"I think I love more tennis now than football. I cannot watch football matches. I think it's too boring.
"I can stay for 5 hours watching tennis," he said, as quoted by Eurosport on their official X account (formerly Twitter).
Ronaldo isn't the only Brazilian icon to say something about the state of football. Former Selecao midfielder Ronaldinho also lashed out at the national team in a recent Instagram post.
"That's it folks, I've had enough," he wrote. "This is a sad moment for those who love Brazilian soccer. It's getting hard to find the spirit to watch the games. This is perhaps one of the worst teams in recent years, it has no respectable leaders, only average players for the majority.
"I've been following football since I was a kid, long before I thought about becoming a player, and I've never seen a situation as bad as this. Lack of love for the shirt, lack of grit and the most important of all: football. I'll repeat, our performance has been one of the worst things I've ever seen. Such a shame. I therefore declare my resignation. I will not watch any CONMEBOL Copa America game, nor celebrate any victory," he added.
However, Ronaldinho has come out to address those comments, clarifying that it was a publicity stunt done in tandem with Rexona.
Remembering Ronaldo Nazario's iconic football career
During his time in the game, Ronaldo represented elite clubs like Barcelona, Real Madrid and Inter Milan. He played a total of 460 games across all competitions throughout his club career, recording 298 goals and 76 assists to his name.
For the national team, he played a total of 99 games and contributed 62 assists. He was instrumental in leading the Selecao to two World Cup triumphs, notably in 1994 and 2002. He also helped the national team to claim the Copa America in 1997 and 1999 - as well as the Confederations Cup in 1997.
Individually, Ronaldo won the FIFA Player of the Year award on three occasions, the Ballon d'Or twice and the UEFA Best Player once among many other accolades. He is highly regarded as the greatest striker in the history of the game.