German legend Lothar Matthaus has claimed Cristiano Ronaldo was a “big flop” at the Qatar 2022 World Cup and believes the Portuguese superstar damaged his legacy at the latest edition of the FIFA World Cup.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s hopes of securing the FIFA World Cup title, which has eluded him in his trophy-filled career, at Qatar 2022 ended when Morocco knocked Portugal out of the competition in the quarter-finals.
Cristiano Ronaldo suffered a disappointing campaign in Qatar 2022, managing to score just one goal for Portugal in the five games he featured in the latest edition of FIFA’s flagship quadrennial event.
Ronaldo started all three of Portugal’s Group H matches at Qatar 2022, but coach Fernando Santos left the 37-year-old on the bench for their round of 16 and quarter-final clashes. Ronaldo came off the bench in both matches but was unable to contribute much as he fell to a 1-0 loss to Morocco in the quarter-finals.
Cristiano Ronaldo is a big flop of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, says Lothar Matthaus
Speaking to BILD, Lothar Matthaus claimed that Cristiano Ronaldo was a “big flop” at the Qatar 2022 World Cup, while his arch-rival Lionel Messi was an “absolute winner”.
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Lothar Matthaus also believes that Cristiano Ronaldo damaged the team and himself with his “ego trips”. “With his ego trips, Ronaldo has damaged the team and himself,” Lothar Matthaus told Bild. [via Metro].
“There is no question that he was a great player and an absolutely lethal finisher. But now he has damaged his legacy.
“It is hard for me to think that I can find a place in a team. I feel sorry for Ronaldo.
“Ronaldo is, of course, a huge World Cup flop, the opposite of Messi. [Messi is] the absolute winner.”
Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo is currently a free agent after Manchester United terminated his contract by mutual consent in November. He returned to Manchester United in the summer of 2021, signing a two-year contract with an option for a further year.
But his tenure at the Premier League club was cut short after his explosive interview with Piers Morgan in which he criticized Manchester United and Erik ten Hag among many others. Manchester United then decided to part ways with Cristiano Ronaldo, terminating his contract by mutual agreement.
