Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has revealed that Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo was subject to a political boycott at the Qatar 2022 World Cup for supporting the Palestinian cause.
Erdogan’s statements came during a youth forum organized by the Justice and Development Party branch in Erzurum, eastern Turkey, on Sunday.
He added: “They neglected Ronaldo and sadly imposed a political boycott on him. When you put Ronaldo on the pitch 30 minutes before the end of the match, you psychologically destroy him and drain his energy.”
In response to a question about comparing Argentine star Lionel Messi to Ronaldo, Erdogan said: “They cannot be compared. The latter has been subjected to a political boycott and Ronaldo defends the Palestinian cause, and I have heard he intends to play in Saudi Arabia.”
Regarding the final match between Argentina and France, Erdogan said, “I told French President Emmanuel Macron, you shouldn’t be sad, because Argentina played wonderfully and deserved the title. The Argentina national team was wonderful in the penalty shootout , and Messi’s experience appeared in the final”.
Erdogan hinted at French star Kylian Mbappe’s performance, saying, “The future is Mbappe, he is currently 23.”
Recep Tayyip ErdoğanWorld Cup 2022
