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Five-time Ballon d’Or winner, five-time Champions League victor and a European champion with Portugal, Cristiano Ronaldo seems to have done it all. The 36-year-old Manchester United star has one of the most enviable résumés around. He has thrived in four European leagues and remains one of the fittest athletes in the world.
Yet, some people just cannot find a way to like him or even tolerate him. To them, he is an abomination; an overrated forward who got more than he deserved. From Liverpool and Barcelona supporters to Lionel Messi and “pure football” worshippers, many football followers seem to have a problem with the Portuguese.
Today, we will look to uncover why. Here are the top five reasons why the mercurial Portuguese is hated by a fraction of football fans.
#5 For acting like a “prima donna”
Given how Cristiano Ronaldo portrays himself on the pitch, calling him the perfect definition of a prima donna probably will not be an exaggeration. He never fails to prove how important he is, never fails to show why the cameras should always be on him.
Cristiano Ronaldo is arguably one of the two most capable players of this generation and the Portuguese does not let anyone forget it. He demands his teammates to be at their 100 percent at all times and ends up throwing a visible tantrum when they are not.
Every misplaced pass, every decision that goes against him is met with tangible frustration, which tends to get on people’s nerves.
Seeing Cristiano Ronaldo refuse to shake hands with opponents after a defeat or pick up a yellow card for dissent has become a regular occurrence now. Thankfully, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner has the talent to make up for his on-field tantrums.
#4 For being a great penalty taker
It might look silly, but some people do dislike Cristiano Ronaldo for scoring “too many” penalties and tap-ins. A section of football fans does not care much for these “easy goals” and believes they unfairly improve Ronaldo’s numbers.
Truth be told, Cristiano Ronaldo has scored an awful number of penalties in his career, 141 to be exact. He has converted time and again for his clubs and country, emerging as a first-choice spot-kick taker.
“Penaldo,” as the haters call him, does have a knack for taking penalties. However, ridiculing a player of such caliber for it is certainly unprecedented. Cristiano Ronaldo, rightfully, pays no mind to the shouts and dispatches each of his penalties with poise, power, and precision.
#3 For his arrogance
Cristiano Ronaldo has a reputation for being one of the most arrogant footballers around. Ronaldo, who happens to be Real Madrid’s leading goalscorer, has won it all in club football and is not afraid to flaunt himself.
According to the forward, he is the most complete footballer the world has ever seen and there is no room for comparison.
After winning his fifth Ballon d’Or, he told France Football:
“I've never seen anyone better than me. I have always thought that. No footballer can do the things I can. There’s no player more complete than me. I play well with both feet, I’m quick, powerful, good with the head, I score goals, I make assists. There are guys who prefer Neymar or Messi. But I tell you: there’s no one more complete than me.”
Unsurprisingly, Ronaldo knows why people boo and jeer him. When asked about the fans’ unpleasant behavior towards him following a Champions League win over Dinamo Zagreb, the Portuguese blatantly called his haters jealous.
Speaking to Goal after the match, he said:
“It's surely because I'm good-looking, rich and a great footballer. They're jealous of me. I don't have any other explanation.”
Needless to say, his interview did not win the fans over.
#2 For his diving
Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the best footballers the world has ever seen, but the footballer is not the strongest advocate of fair play. He has often gone down after the slightest amount of contact, hoping to get a penalty.
Thanks to his quick feet, he has always drawn fouls in and around the area. And irrespective of the degree of contact, Cristiano Ronaldo has always looked to make the most of it. From football pundits to football fans, many call his antics disgraceful, claiming his dives hurt the spirit of the game.
#1 For being a ruthless competitor
Cristiano Ronaldo has been at the top of his game for the last 15 years. From Portugal’s Sporting Lisbon, he joined Premier League’s Manchester United. He danced and celebrated his way to his first Ballon d’Or in 2008 and has never looked back since.
Even during his first spell at Manchester United, Cristiano Ronaldo used to be an unforgiving footballer. He would fight, cheat, and lie his way to victory if he needed to, never thinking twice about his actions. His teammates loved him for it. His opponents? Not so much.
Cristiano Ronaldo only got bolder during his spell with Real Madrid. Ronaldo was almost always Los Blancos’ key man against Barcelona and he took the rivalry rather personally. Not only did he score outrageous goals but his celebrations were also just as brash.
From asking the Camp Nou to calm down to showing them his Jersey, Cristiano Ronaldo surely knew how to work up the Cules. Given the history between the player and Barcelona fans, their hatred for the former Real Madrid #7 is quite understandable.
