After France took the time to console the Atlas Lions following their World Cup elimination, Cristiano Ronaldo has come under fire for failing to acknowledge the Moroccan national team.
After Portugal’s World Cup loss, Cristiano Ronaldo came under fire for failing to greet Moroccan players.
Cristiano Ronaldo has come under fire from Dietmar Hamann after Morocco was defeated 2-0 by France in the World Cup semifinals on Wednesday.
Despite giving it their all, the Atlas Lions were unable to defeat the reigning champions, who will meet Argentina in the championship game on Sunday thanks to goals from Theo Hernandez and second-half replacement Randal Kolo Muani.
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After defeating Portugal in the World Cup quarterfinals, Walid Regragui’s team achieved history by being the first African nation to advance to the semifinals. And it was all too much for Ronaldo, who abruptly fled the field in tears when the final horn blew without saying goodbye to either of his own teammates or the Moroccan players.
After seeing France’s ecstatic players recognize Morocco following the game, Hamann likened it to Ronaldo’s behavior after facing Regragui’s team, criticizing the 37-year-old for his lack of “dignity”.
In an interview with RTE, Hamann stated: “I believe Morocco restored the human element to this World Cup. If you talk about these “superstars,” “top players,” and “top earners,” you would be surprised to learn that Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the best players in history who passed away a week ago, was unable to even congratulate them at the conclusion of the game.
He didn’t even have the decency to congratulate them for what they had accomplished when they won that game and made history. Now watch them as they shake hands with the French. The grace and humility they display in loss is remarkable.
Ronaldo went to Qatar knowing that this was his last chance to win the World Cup, but Portugal’s setback came at the end of a trying week for the player who had lost his status in Fernando Santos’ squad.
Didi Hamann contrasted Ronaldo’s response to the grace displayed by the French after defeating Morocco.
After leaving Manchester United and becoming a free agent, there had been rumors that Ronaldo may quit representing his country after being benched during Portugal’s crushing 6-1 victory over Switzerland in the Round of 16.
But after Portugal’s heartbreaking World Cup defeat, Ronaldo dispelled the rumors in an emotive social media statement. Ronaldo posted on Instagram, “Winning a World Cup for Portugal was the biggest and most ambitious dream of my career.
“I was fortunate to win numerous trophies with an international scope, including ones for Portugal, but my ultimate desire was to elevate the reputation of our nation to the pinnacle of the world.
“I battled for it. For this dream, I battled valiantly. I gave it my all in the five World Cup games in which I scored during a 16-year period, always playing with outstanding players and with millions of Portuguese fans cheering me on. Unfortunately, the dream came to an end yesterday. Reacting to heat is not worth it.