Morocco’s Regragui criticizes Portugal for lack of respect toward Ronaldo

Former Morocco coach Walid Regragui has criticized Portugal for not showing sufficient respect towards Cristiano Ronaldo, contrasting it with the level of appreciation Lionel Messi receives in Argentina. Regragui spoke to France’s Canal+ and detailed the differences in the treatment of Ronaldo and Messi by their respective fan bases and national teams.

He acknowledged Ronaldo's immense contributions to Portugal and his pivotal role in raising the profile of the country's football. However, Regragui expressed disappointment with how the situation unfolded for Ronaldo, stating that direct communication about his exit from the national team should have been made. He also pointed out that Jorge Jesus, who had previously worked with Ronaldo at Al Nassr, should have engaged in a dialogue about the future, implying that both the coach and the player mutually harmed themselves by not handling the situation tactfully.

Regragui also linked part of the crisis to Ronaldo's personal ambition of reaching 1,000 career goals, even if it meant continuing to play for the national team, which he felt had left a negative impression. He noted that Messi's respect in Argentina, both from fans and fellow players, is markedly different from the treatment of Ronaldo in Portugal, emphasizing that the Portuguese never considered running for Ronaldo, whereas Argentinians rallied behind Messi even during the last World Cup.