Argentina’s Women’s World Cup striker, Yamila Rodriguez, has defended her decision to have a tattoo of Cristiano Ronaldo on her leg, amidst criticism from fans back home.
The 25-year-old faced backlash on social media after fans noticed the ink of Portugal’s Ronaldo, who is a great rival of Argentina’s captain, Lionel Messi.
In response to the criticism, Rodriguez took to social media to clarify her position, stating, “Please, enough, I’m not doing well. At what point did I say I’m anti-Messi? Messi is our great captain in the national team, but the fact that I say that my inspiration and my idol is CR7 (Ronaldo) does not mean that I hate Messi. Enough, it’s tiring and it hurts.”
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The talented striker, who came on as a substitute in Argentina’s 1-0 World Cup defeat to Italy on Monday, has several other tattoos, including one of Argentina legend Diego Maradona.
Her support for Ronaldo has sparked controversy among fans who are passionate about the rivalry between Ronaldo and Messi. However, Rodriguez’s message is clear that her admiration for Ronaldo doesn’t diminish her respect for Messi, who remains an integral part of the men’s national team as captain. Messi inspired Argentina to win their first World Cup since 1986 in Qatar last year.