Former England striker, Michael Owen, has chosen not to criticize Cristiano Ronaldo, instead expressing his support for the Portuguese star to perform at par with Lionel Messi in the ongoing FIFA World Cup.
Ronaldo faced significant criticism following Portugal’s 1-1 draw against DR Congo in their Group K opener on June 17.
The timing of this result exacerbated the discomfort for his fans, especially since just 24 hours earlier, Lionel Messi had netted a hat-trick for Argentina in their opening match against Algeria.
Owen, who himself was a World Cup star for England, remains optimistic that the former Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus player will soon rediscover his scoring prowess.
In his column for the Daily Mail, he stated, “Cristiano Ronaldo’s situation was not aided by Lionel Messi’s hat-trick the night before Portugal’s match, but I refuse to endorse the criticism directed at him.
“How many times has he faced similar situations and silenced his critics in the following game? If you choose to include Ronaldo in your lineup, you must accept the role he plays – and I would not be surprised if he responds with a hat-trick against Uzbekistan.”
Nevertheless, it is difficult to overlook the statistics from Ronaldo’s performance in the FIFA World Cup opener.
The 41-year-old failed to hit the target with any of his three shots and generally struggled to make a significant impact on the game.
This disappointing performance marked his 10th consecutive appearance in major tournaments without scoring a goal.