German great Lothar Matthaus has ripped off Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo after he failed to inspire his side to glory at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. In what was seen as his latest push onto the world stage, Ronaldo would lead Portugal to glory by winning the country’s first ever FIFA World Cup title. Yet here we are, with staunch rival Lionel Messi winning the World Cup and etching his name into the history books forever.
However, it was a desperate campaign from Portugal that contributed to their run for the eventual title. From Cristiano Ronaldo’s arrival to the national camp in Qatar following that explosive interview with Piers Morgan, to his fallout with Portuguese manager Fernando Santos, the Seleçaos’ World Cup campaign has gone from strength to strength. World champion himself, Lothar Matthaus thinks it all depends on Ronaldo’s ego that scripted Portugal’s misery in Qatar.
He damaged his legacy: Lothar Matthaus takes pity on Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo was expected to rival Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe at the World Cup but it quickly became a two-man race with teammates from PSG taking the tournament by storm. While Messi won the coveted World Cup trophy and the Ballon d’Or as the best player of the tournament, Kylian Mbappe also scored an impressive 8 goals to win the Golden Boot. Unlike these two fit men, Ronaldo had to say goodbye in tears as Portugal withdrew from the quarter-finals.
Furthermore, it was more shocking and puzzling that the five-time Ballon d’Or winner had to come off the bench in his side’s round of 16 and quarter-finals. As a result, Ronaldo finished his last FIFA World Cup final with just one goal to his name and no wins in the 90 minutes, having been disallowed in all three of his group stage matches. And substituting him against South Korea just after the hour would lead to a feud between him and Santos, which eventually forced the Portugal coach to bench the captain.
Matthaus has now criticized the former Manchester United striker for putting his ego ahead of the national team which cost him a big run in Qatar. Speaking to BILD, the 1990 World Cup winner said:
“With his ego trips, [Cristiano] Ronaldo has damaged the team and himself. There is no doubt that he was a great player and an absolutely deadly finisher. But now he has damaged his legacy. I find it hard to think that he can find a place in a team. I feel a little sorry for Ronaldo.
“Ronaldo is obviously a major World Cup failure, unlike Messi. [Messi is] the overall winner. He deserves it because he gave me and all the fans great joy with his qualities and the way he played at 17-18 years old. For me, Messi is the player of the millennium.
While looking to become Portugal captain, Matthaus also took the time to credit his fierce rival Messi as the ‘player of the millennium’. Lionel Messi truly had a memorable tournament, having scored 7 brilliant goals, including two in the final against France, and also dispensed 3 assists to win the Ballon d’Or and the World Cup trophy. However, Ronaldo has his own issues to deal with now, with him and his super agent Jorge Mendes finding him a new home following the termination of his Manchester United contract.
