A football legend accuses portuguese players of boycotting Cristiano Ronaldo during the World Cup

Former French international Youri Djorkaeff came to the defence of Cristiano Ronaldo on the programme After Foot RMC, arguing that the Portuguese forward did not receive the support he needed from his teammates and even suggesting that he was the victim of a “boycott” during the tournament.

Following Portugal’s elimination at the hands of Spain, Djorkaeff claimed that when a team decides to include a player of Ronaldo’s stature, the entire system should be built around maximizing his strengths.

“If you bring Cristiano Ronaldo, then the team has to play for Cristiano Ronaldo, and that simply wasn’t the case. It was obvious that he was being boycotted by his own team. They weren’t giving him the ball, they weren’t putting him in the best positions to succeed. Either you don’t take him, or you take him and make sure the team plays for him.”

The 1998 World Cup winner with France believes Portugal failed to make the most of the all-time leading scorer in international football and criticized the lack of understanding between Ronaldo and his teammates throughout the competition.

Controversy From Day One

Djorkaeff’s comments come after a World Cup marked by intense scrutiny surrounding Ronaldo’s role within the Portuguese national team. Following Portugal’s draw in their opening match against DR Congo, the captain’s prominence became a major talking point, creating divisions both within the team’s environment and among supporters.

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