Strangely, Kaka asserted that Brazilians view Ronaldo as “a fat man walking down the street.”
Despite winning a record five World Cups, the former AC Milan and Real Madrid star claims that many Brazilians do not support the national team.
With Brazil, Ronaldo won two World Cups. He won gold as a teenager in 1994 and again in 2002, when he was a starring player, scoring eight goals, including a brace in the final against Germany.
He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in football history, but his legendary status means little to the Brazilian people.
That’s according to Kaka, who revealed an intriguing fact about the 46-year-old.
“It’s strange to say this, but many Brazilians don’t support Brazil,” he said on BeIN Sports. “It happens sometimes. If you see Ronaldo walking around here, you’ll be like: ‘Wow’, he has something different here.
“In Brazil, he’s just a fat man walking down the street.”
When asked if the ex-Barcelona forward is as well-liked in Brazil as he is elsewhere, Kaka responded, “Of course, many Brazilians love Ronaldo, I love Ronaldo, but the way he is respected in Brazil and abroad is different, I see more respect for him outside the country than there.”
Kaka’s revealing claim surprised BeIN Sports pundits Gary Neville and John Terry.
Ronaldo earned 98 caps for Brazil and scored 62 goals during his international career.
Despite his impressive playing career, he appears to lack respect and recognition from his peers.
It’s a sad thought considering how successful he was on the field for some of the best clubs in the world.
Meanwhile, Ronaldo is in Qatar and will most likely watch Brazil’s match against Croatia.