'Humiliating ostracism rumor' Ronaldo: "Teammates boycotted me in the national team"... Legend's 'shocking revelation'

*This content was translated by AI.

It is humiliating. Ostracism rumors are spreading around Cristiano Ronaldo (Al-Nassr), who concluded his World Cup challenge with bitterness.

The British outlet 'Daily Post' reported on the 12th (Korea time) that "French legend Youri Djorkaeff, in an interview, strongly criticized how Portugal players treated captain Ronaldo during the tournament. He claimed that the Portuguese national team effectively boycotted Ronaldo at this tournament."

According to local reports, Djorkaeff, a member of France's 1998 World Cup-winning squad, stated, "If you have a player like Ronaldo, the team should play in a way that allows him to showcase his abilities, but there was absolutely no such scene at this tournament." He added, "It can even be said that teammates boycotted Ronaldo."

He continued, "Teammates did not support him nor create an optimal environment for him. Despite Portugal having many talented players, it was disappointing to see all the burden placed solely on Ronaldo."

He also pointed out the lack of responsibility among younger players. Djorkaeff strongly criticized, saying, "Players like Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain) and Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United) should have stepped up at critical moments to share the responsibility. It is irrational to expect Ronaldo to be the only solution. There were many other players who could influence the game."

Portugal lost 0-1 to Spain in the 2026 FIFA North American World Cup Round of 16 match held at Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas, USA, after a lifeless performance. Having been eliminated in the quarterfinals of the previous 2022 Qatar tournament, Portugal was defeated again this time in the Round of 16, one step lower than before.

Ronaldo's last dance at the tournament, which he had declared as his final World Cup, ended in a shabby manner. Ronaldo started the match against Spain and played the full 90 minutes but remained lifeless throughout the game. When the final whistle blew, he burst into tears and left the field. Although he set a new record by scoring in six consecutive World Cups for the first time in history, his best result remained fourth place at the 2006 Germany tournament, where he made his debut.

There were also significant regrets regarding statistics. According to an analysis by the British outlet 'BBC', Ronaldo scored three goals in five matches up to the Round of 16 at this tournament, with a brace against Uzbekistan and a penalty kick goal against Croatia. However, while 10 other players scored more goals than him, he attempted as many as 18 shots. In contrast, he created opportunities for teammates only once during the five matches.

Moreover, despite playing in all matches except nine minutes of the five games Portugal played at this tournament, his influence on the game hit rock bottom, with 366 players participating in the tournament recording more ball touches than Ronaldo. Even against Spain, he was isolated, managing only 19 ball touches and three shots over 90 minutes.

Wayne Rooney, a former teammate of Ronaldo's at Manchester United, expressed his bitterness through 'BBC', saying, "Ronaldo is a genius and a superstar who has given the football world and millions of people a rare gift." However, he added, "He must be very disappointed because he believed he could win this tournament, but no one can stop the passage of time. It is a sad day for football."

Meanwhile, although Ronaldo has declared his retirement from the World Cup stage at the end of this tournament, it is reported that he has not yet made a final decision on whether to retire from his entire career with the Portugal national team.

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*This content was translated by AI.