“Cristiano Ronaldo supports Palestine while Lionel Messi supports Israel”—this is what fans of the Portuguese star often say on social media.
Videos have circulated showing the captain of Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr club sometimes sending a message to the children of Gaza, at other times throwing away an Israeli journalist’s microphone, and even wearing the Palestinian keffiyeh. However, the authenticity of these videos has been questioned.
Even Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has previously pointed to the 39-year-old player’s support for the Palestinian cause.
Erdoğan: “Ronaldo supports the cause and was banned for it.”
During the 2024 World Cup matches, the Turkish president said that Ronaldo faced a “political ban” in the World Cup because of “his support for the Palestinian cause.”
He added, “Ronaldo is someone who supports the Palestinian cause,” and compared the Portuguese footballer to the Argentine Lionel Messi.
Erdoğan made these statements during an event with youth in Erzurum province (eastern Turkey) on December 25, 2024, as reported by the English version of Turkey’s Anadolu Agency.
This came after Ronaldo entered as a substitute in the second half of the World Cup quarter-final match against Morocco, which Portugal lost 1-0. He was also on the bench at the start of the Round of 16 match against Switzerland, where he also appeared as a substitute.
Does Ronaldo Really Support Palestine?
The definite and brief answer is that Ronaldo has not made any official statements regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
He has also not commented on the Israeli war that began in October 2023 and has continued (up to the time of publishing this report) for ten months, despite many sports and entertainment celebrities and well-known figures around the world taking a stand supporting either Palestine or Israel.
Nevertheless, there have been dozens of reports, videos, and photos circulating online claiming his support for the Palestinian cause, but each seems to have its own story, as this report will explain.
Did He Raise a “Save Palestine” Shirt?
A picture of Ronaldo during a football match on February 21, 2010, shows him lifting his shirt to reveal the phrase “Save Palestine” written on the undershirt.
However, the original photo published by Reuters shows that the word written was “Madeira,” the name of the Portuguese island where Ronaldo was born.
Did Ronaldo Hold a “Everyone for Palestine” Sign?
Another picture of Ronaldo showed him holding a banner with the words “Everyone for Gaza” in Spanish, along with the Palestinian flag.
But the original banner actually read “TODOS con Lorca” (Everyone with Lorca).
The photo was taken in solidarity with the residents affected by the earthquake in Lorca, Spain, in 2011.
The English version of Reuters news agency pointed out that the altered photo with the word Palestine first appeared in January 2013, according to a search on the TinEye image search platform.
When He Met a Palestinian Child Injured by Israelis
In 2016, Ronaldo and his Real Madrid teammates met the Palestinian child Ahmed Dawabsha, who was five years old at the time, as reported by CNN and Anadolu Agency.
The child took pictures with the stars of his favorite club and hugged Ronaldo, who gave a thumbs-up while posing with the boy. Ronaldo embraced the child at that time at Real Madrid.
The boy had survived a Molotov cocktail attack by Israeli extremists on their home in the West Bank, which killed his parents and younger brother.
Did Ronaldo Donate to Palestinians?
In 2019, a report circulated claiming that Ronaldo donated 1.5 million euros ($1.59 million) to Palestinians after auctioning off his Golden Boot award.
However, this was denied by a sports management company representing the player, as reported by the English version of Al Jazeera.
When He Gifted His Jersey to an Israeli Minister
In 2019, Ronaldo gave one of his jerseys to former Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz.
The photo of their meeting in Italy, where Ronaldo was playing for Juventus, was shared by the Israeli minister on his account on X (formerly Twitter).
When Ronaldo Wore the Palestinian Keffiyeh
One of the most circulated photos suggesting Ronaldo’s support for the Palestinian cause shows him wearing a Palestinian scarf around his shoulders.
However, this scarf represented the Palestinian Football Association at FIFA, and the former Real Madrid and Manchester United player stood next to the President of the Palestinian Football Association, Jibril Rajoub, with both wearing the association’s scarf.
The Observers channel of the France 24 network stated in 2022 that it “does not consider it a sign of his support for the Palestinian cause.”
