Morocco’s Regragui criticizes Portugal for lack of respect toward Ronaldo

Former Morocco national team coach Walid Regragui has weighed in on Cristiano Ronaldo’s recent troubles with the Portugal squad and coach Jorge Jesus, highlighting a difference in the level of appreciation Ronaldo receives at home compared to Lionel Messi in Argentina.

Speaking to France’s Canal+, Regragui said Ronaldo has made immense contributions to Portugal on many occasions, and credited him with raising the profile of many Portuguese players and the country’s football overall.

Regragui, who led Morocco to a fourth-place finish at the 2022 World Cup, added that the handling of Ronaldo’s final years with the national team lacked tact, and that he should have been told directly when it was time to step aside. He noted that coach Jorge Jesus, who previously worked with Ronaldo at Al Nassr, should have discussed the next steps with him, arguing that both parties have only harmed themselves.

Ego and differing appreciation for Messi and Ronaldo

Regragui also attributed part of the crisis to Ronaldo’s desire to reach 1,000 career goals, possibly while still playing for the national team, saying the outcome has left a negative impression.

View the post on X

He explained that the appreciation Messi receives from Argentinians—fans and players alike—is entirely different from what he has observed among Portuguese toward Ronaldo. He added that while running for Ronaldo was never an option for the Portuguese, Argentinians embraced doing so for Messi, even at the last World Cup.