Al-Nassr captain Cristiano Ronaldo has revealed the reasons behind his absence at the funeral of late Liverpool forward Diogo Jota, addressing the heavy criticism he received after several of their Portugal teammates attended the ceremony.
Jota and his brother, Andre Silva, tragically lost their lives in a car accident in July, a loss that sent shockwaves through Portuguese football. While many expected Ronaldo—who once shared the national team dressing room with Jota—to be present, the veteran forward stayed away, sparking public backlash.
Speaking on Piers Morgan Uncensored, the 40-year-old clarified why he chose not to attend the funeral, emphasizing that his decision was deliberate and based on personal principles.
“There are two things.
“People criticise me a lot and I don’t care about that because when you feel your conscious is good, you don’t need to worry about what people say. One of the things I don’t do after my father died is to go to a cemetery.
“Secondly, you know me and my reputation; wherever I go, it’s a circus. I don’t go to [Jota’s funeral] because the attention would be on me and I don’t want that.
“People can continue to criticise me, but I felt good with my decision,” he added.
Ronaldo’s comments have reopened public debate about the pressures of his celebrity status and how it affects his personal choices, especially during sensitive moments such as bereavements.
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