'Cristiano Ronaldo stands for Palestine', claims Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has given his two cents on Cristiano Ronaldo and the snub that the Portuguese received during the FIFA World Cup. Erdogan said Ronaldo was subjected to a political ban during the tournament because he supported the Palestinian cause.

“They have wasted Ronaldo. Unfortunately, they have imposed a political ban on him,” Erdogan was quoted as saying by Al-Jazeera.

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“Sending a footballer like Ronaldo to the pitch with just 30 minutes remaining to the match ruined his psychology and took away his energy," said the Turkish leader before adding, Ronaldo is someone who stands for the Palestinian cause."

While Erdogan claimed that Ronaldo supported Palestine, there is no real public evidence that points to the same.

In pics | Cristiano Ronaldo's journey at the 2022 FIFA World Cup

Several doctored images and false reports routinely do the rounds of social media, suggesting the same. However, nearly every such post has been fact-checked and proven to be false.

A picture of Ronaldo holding a sign that reads “Together with the Palestinians" in Spanish went viral recently. However, it was found to be morphed as the original photo showed Ronaldo showing solidarity with the survivors of the Lorca earthquake.

After Portugal crashed out of the World Cup, Ronaldo broke down in tears and cried inconsolably. In a video that went viral on social media platforms, an emotional Ronaldo could be seen walking off the pitch after the final whistle.

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After starting the initial games, Ronaldo was snubbed from a place in the placing XI by then-manager Fernando Santos. While the ploy worked elegantly against Switzerland in the pre-quarterfinal, Portugal missed Ronaldo's class in the quarterfinal where they lost to Morocco.

Santos at the time said he had no regrets for benching Ronaldo: “No, I don’t think so, no regrets. Cristiano is a great player, he came in when we thought it was necessary, so no regrets."

The 2022 World Cup was potentially Ronaldo's last dance on the world stage. Currently a free agent, the former Manchester United striker has been linked to a move to Saudi Arabia.

Read more: FIFA World Cup 2022: Portugal coach Santos says he has 'no regrets' for benching Ronaldo

(With inputs from agencies)

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