Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said Cristiano Ronaldo was subjected to a “political ban” at the World cup, as he compared the Portuguese footballer to Lionel Messi.
“They have wasted Ronaldo. Unfortunately, they have imposed a political ban on him,” Erdogan said on Sunday while speaking at a youth event in the eastern Erzurum province.
“Sending a footballer like Ronaldo to the pitch with just 30 minutes remaining to the match ruined his psychology and took away his energy,” Erdogan said.
“Ronaldo is someone who stands for the Palestinian cause,” he added.
The 37-year-old came on as a substitute in the second half of a World Cup quarterfinal game against Morocco in which Portugal lost 1-0.
The former Manchester United and Real Madrid footballer had also been on the bench when Portugal took on Switzerland in the round of 16, making an appearance as a substitute.
Ronaldo has never issued any public statements on the Israel-Palestine conflict, despite false reports and doctored photos emerging periodically online.
An image of Ronaldo holding a sign saying “Together with the Palestinians” in Spanish that was widely shared online was also doctored and was in fact an expression of support for the victims of an earthquake in Spain in 2011.