World Cup: France legend slams Portugal players over Ronaldo treatment

French legend, Youri Djorkaeff, has criticised Portugal players over their treatment of their captain, Cristiano Ronaldo.

He said the Portugal team effectively ‘boycotted’ Cristiano Ronaldo during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The 58-year-old, who scored 28 goals and provided 21 assists in 82 international appearances, and was part of the victorious French team in the 1998 World Cup, stated, via The Real Champs as quoted by RMC Sport, “When you have Cristiano Ronaldo, the team must adapt to play for him, which did not occur at all. One could argue that he was boycotted by his own teammates.

“They failed to support him and did not create optimal conditions for his performance… What I found disappointing about the Portugal national team, despite its considerable talent, was the tendency for everyone to shift the burden onto Cristiano.”

“At some point, players like Vitinha, Bruno Fernandes, and others needed to rise to the occasion and share the responsibility. It is unreasonable to expect Cristiano to be the sole solution to every problem. He is not the only player capable of making a significant impact,” Djorkaeff remarked.

Although Ronaldo has declared his retirement from the World Cup, he has not yet made a decision regarding the conclusion of his international career.