Rabat – Moroccan football player Sofiane Boufal has come forward to refute the claim that he had said he enjoyed seeing Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo cry following his country’s defeat against the Atlas Lions in the quarter-finals of the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
Boufal took to Instagram to call on people to “not distort” his words, sharing a clip from his interview with Cerfia Foot during which he spoke about Ronaldo’s reaction after his team’s elimination from the World Cup.
When asked about his thoughts regarding the incident, the Atlas Lion said: “With all the respect I have for Cristiano Ronaldo, I would rather him cry than us.” He went on to express his and his team’s happiness and pride for their successful World Cup journey.
However, many international news outlets distorted the Atlas Lions’ statement, reporting that he said he had “enjoyed seeing Cristiano Ronaldo cry,” with many fans shocked that Boufal would make such a remark.
The incident dates back to December 2022, when Morocco pulled off a 1-0 shock win against Ronaldo’s national team in the World Cup’s quarter-finals. The Morocco National Team not only managed to beat and send home one of the world’s football giants but also became the first Arab and African country to reach the tournament’s semi-finals.
After Morocco’s shock win against the European country, Ronaldo left the Al Thumama Stadium in tears as his dream, and probably last chance, to win the World Cup in his career shattered.
The Moroccan squad finished their historic World Cup run in the fourth spot after losing to Croatia in the tournament’s Third-Place Playoff.
Morocco’s World Cup heroics were widely celebrated, especially in Africa and the Arab World.
