Joao Cancelo has recently made some enemies with a controversial opinion about Cristiano Ronaldo. When speaking about the veteran striker’s influence in the Portuguese national team, the defender suggested the Al-Nassr star is no longer the difference maker.
“He is an important player, but the peak performance of a player is between the ages of 25-32 years. We do not depend on him,” Cancelo said about Ronaldo, via Indonesian outlet detiksport.
Of course, this comment didn’t sit well with Ronaldo’s fans. The former Manchester United and Real Madrid ace has millions of followers around the world, who made their voice heard in the wake of Cancelo’s comments.
The Barcelona fullback raised many eyebrows by speaking like that of a fellow countryman and teammate, which is why the comment went viral and his social media was flooded with critics from CR7 fans.
Ronaldo fans hit back at Cancelo
“Who are you to talk about the best player in history? Who are you? What is your history? I can’t mention Ronaldo’s history with a comment, but for you to learn. Nothing compares to Ronaldo’s shoes, even if he is 45 years old,” a user wrote.
There were more comments similar to this one in the reply section of Cancelo’s latest Instagram post, with many claiming Portugal owe worldwide recognition to Ronaldo, while others stated Cristiano will always be way above Cancelo and any other Portuguese player.
“Some people should know when they talk about who they are talking about! Because Don Cristiano is an exception and not like the rest of the players,” wrote another user after naming the different records CR7 has established throughout his career.
“How can you talk like this about a legend among the legends of football and its history, and besides, he is in your national team. Shame on you, the least you can do is respect him,” read another reply.
Ronaldo clearly has a loyal fanbase that will always come to his defense, especially when they feel someone is trying to diminish his legacy. Cancelo maybe had no intention to disrespect his teammate, but it didn’t take long for his comments to backfire.