Former French international Youri Djorkaeff has come to the defense of the legendary Cristiano Ronaldo, arguing that the Portuguese forward did not receive the necessary support from his teammates. He went a step further, suggesting that the iconic striker was the victim of a “deliberate boycott” during the tournament.
Portugal crashed out of the 2026 World Cup in the Round of 16 following a 1-0 defeat against Spain. Despite scoring 3 goals throughout the competition, Ronaldo faced heavy criticism from fans and media alike for his overall performance.
However, Djorkaeff believes that when a national team decides to include a player of Ronaldo’s immense stature and history, the entire tactical system must be engineered to maximize his strengths.
Speaking in a media interview, the 1998 World Cup winner stated:
“If you decide to bring Cristiano Ronaldo, then the entire team has to play for Cristiano Ronaldo, and that simply wasn’t the case.”
He further asserted:
“It was glaringly obvious that he was being boycotted by his own teammates. They weren’t passing him the ball, and they failed to put him in the best positions to succeed.”
Djorkaeff continued to question the unrealistic expectations placed on the forward:
“Everyone knows who Cristiano is, and his style of play hasn’t changed for many years. So, what were they expecting from him? Did they seriously expect him to completely reinvent his footballing identity overnight?”
He concluded bluntly:
“The choice is simple: either you don’t take him with you at all, or you take him and ensure the entire team plays for him.”
While Ronaldo had previously hinted that the 2026 World Cup would be his final international tournament, the landscape has shifted. Following the appointment of Jorge Jesus to succeed Roberto Martínez as Portugal’s head coach, rumors are swirling that El Bicho might extend his international career, especially given the excellent relationship between the two.
