FIFA have deleted TWO tweets following a huge backlash from Cristiano Ronaldo’s fervent fanbase.
Ronaldo endured a disappointing tournament in Qatar, scoring just once from the penalty spot before being dropped to the bench.
His great rival Lionel Messi, meanwhile, scored seven goals and laid on three assists on the way to winning the tournament and the Golden Ball.
The 35-year-old’s exploits effectively ended the GOAT debate for many fans, and Fifa’s official World Cup Twitter account tweeted a message to that effect.
They wrote: “The GOAT debate is settled. The ultimate prize is now part of the collection.
“On the day @Argentina won their third #FIFAWorldCup, Leo Messi is your @Budweiser Player of the Match.”
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The tweet seemed to upset some Ronaldo fan accounts, and has still been gaining traction even since it has been deleted.
One wrote: “A professional account of the biggest football organisation in the world.
“It has always been Ronaldo vs the rigged system.”
A second huffed: “Very unprofessional.”
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And a third moaned: “It’s everyone against him.”
Fifa deleted a further innocuous tweet.
They posted a picture of Ronaldo smiling and raising his thumb, with the caption: “Thumbs up if you really enjoyed the #FIFAWorldCup.”
Some fans took the tweet to be insulting to the 37-year-old, who had a miserable tournament.
One wrote: “Fifa mocking Ronaldo. They have now deleted this tweet.”
Another bizarrely claimed: “The favouritism displayed by Fifa in that now-deleted tweet further corroborates our assumption of a rigged system against Ronaldo all along.”
Ronaldo’s tournament ended at the quarter-final stage, when Portugal lost 1-0 to Morocco.
He was brought on in the 51st minute, but was unable to make an impact.
After the match he left the field in tears, after seeming to realise that his World Cup dream had slipped away.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk