What did Ronaldo say to be criticized for 'loving money more than loving country'?

Many Portuguese football fans were angry with the recent statement of Cristiano Ronaldo - who is always considered the idol of this country.

Recent photos of Ronaldo - Photo: AN

"I may be Portuguese, but I belong to Saudi Arabia," the Saudi Gazette quoted Ronaldo in a speech on June 29, on the occasion of his official signing of a new contract with Al Nassr Club.

Immediately, this statement caused a stir in the football fan community. Many Portuguese fans criticized Ronaldo for "flattering" Saudi Arabia too much.

"Do I need to say that? I understand that Ronaldo receives hundreds of millions of dollars from Saudi Arabia, but he doesn't need to say that he is Portuguese, but belongs there, just because they pay him a lot of money," commented an account on X.

"From my first day here, I understood that I had a responsibility to change not only Al Nassr but also Saudi Arabian football. That is why I extended my contract.

"I believe in the project of the team, believe in Al Nassr, believe in the fans. The 2034 World Cup (hosted by Saudi Arabia) will be the most beautiful World Cup in history," Ronaldo added in this speech.

Overall, this is a typical speech at a contract signing ceremony, with familiar slogans.

But the way Ronaldo opened his speech made him stumble, when he declared: "I may be Portuguese, but I belong to Saudi Arabia."

With this statement, many fans think that Ronaldo loves Saudi Arabia more than his homeland, just because he received billions of dollars here.

According to Forbes , Ronaldo has received nearly 500 million USD in the first 2 and a half years of playing football in Saudi Arabia, from the beginning of 2023 until now. In the next 2 years, he may receive another 430 million USD from Al Nassr, not counting commercial revenue, sponsorship...

"With $1 billion, you can say anything, including expressing that you love another country more than your homeland," another social media account commented.

Meanwhile, Portuguese journalist Rui Santos emphasized that Ronaldo declared that the Saudi Arabian championship (Saudi Pro League) is among the top 5 leagues in the world , while Portugal (Primeira Liga) is not.

"Ronaldo said that Saudi Arabia's tournament is in the top 5 in the world, while Portugal's is not. We need to understand that this is his promotional act," Mr. Santos commented.

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HUY DANG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/ronaldo-noi-gi-de-bi-chi-trich-yeu-tien-hon-yeu-nuoc-20250630174207305.htm