Argentina’s Women’s World Cup striker Yamila Rodriguez has defended having a tattoo of Cristiano Ronaldo on her leg, saying: “I don’t hate Messi.”
The 25-year-old faced flak on social media from fans back home after they spotted the ink on her left shin of Portugal’s Ronaldo — the great rival of Argentina captain Lionel Messi.
“Please, enough, I’m not doing well. At what point did I say I’m anti-Messi?” Rodriguez wrote on social media in response.
“Messi is our great captain in the national team, but the fact that I say that my inspiration and my idol is CR7 (Ronaldo) does not mean that I hate Messi.
“Enough, it’s tiring and it hurts.
“What is the problem? We are not all obliged to only love the players of our country.
“Please understand that this is football and everyone has appreciation, their preferences and highlighting one does not mean burying the other.”
Rodriguez, who came on as a substitute in Monday’s 1-0 World Cup defeat to Italy, has numerous other tattoos, including one of Argentina legend Diego Maradona.
Argentina is an enormously patriotic country when it comes to football but Rodriguez has bee backed by popular football journalist Martin Liberman who took aim at his own compatriots for their abuse.
“Sh*tty country,” he wrote on Twitter. They even want to choose your idols. Where did they come from?”
“Everyone admires who they want! All my support for Yamila Rodriguez whose only crime is to love Cristiano. Don’t give explanations Yamila! You are free. You just have to play nice and be honest. F**k them!”
8.40AM: COACH’S PATRONISING EQUAL PAY TAKE
France’s coach has done himself few favours after making controversial comments about equal pay in the men’s and women’s game.
The gender pay gap debate has dominated women’s football for years and has overshadowed much of the build-up to the 2023 World Cup.
Even the Matildas made their feelings on the matter abundantly clear, using Australia’s role as host of the World Cup as a platform to call out FIFA’s discrepancy in prizemoney.
While the CBA with Football Australia afford the Matildas the same minimum percentage as their male counterparts, the international scene remains hugely different with prizemoney at the women’s world Cup 229.6 million – well short of the $650m on offer in Qatar last year.
Herve Renard, who only took the reins of the French women’s team in March of this year after four years with Saudi Arabia men’s side, has done little to help push the issue instead telling women to “just be patient”.
“If you have one restaurant with 1,000 meals in the evening and one with 300, it’s not the same,” he said.
“At the end of the night in the register, it’s not the same amount. Football it’s the same. It’s business.”
Renard’s comments will incense many and placate the sceptics. But his role as a leader of a women’s team should be called into question.
When he took the reins of the side four months ago he admitted: “For me everything was new because I didn’t know women’s football, how to manage the girls.
No kidding.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has set a target for both the women’s and men’s World Cups to offer equal pay by 2027.
8:20AM REF FARCE: HOWLER EXPOSES FIFA TRIAL
The Women’s World Cup was plunged into momentary chaos after a referee announced the wrong decision after a VAR review.
Spain had put in a good showing as they beat Zambia 5-0 at Eden Park in New Zealand.
However, the most intriguing moment came from referee Oh-Hyeon Jeong while there was a VAR check on Jennifer Hermoso’s goal in 70th minute.
Hermoso had already netted earlier in the game but her second was initially ruled out as Olga Carmona was flagged offside in the build-up to the goal.
After the lengthy check, it seemed that the Spaniard would be allowed the goal until Oh-Hyeon Jeong appeared to stick with her original decision.
The official announced that the decision was “no goal!”, which was then met with boos from the crowd.
This then saw the referee backtrack and say: “No, wait… no offside – Goal!”But for a second the Spanish team were left confused due to the dodgy announcement before realising that the goal had been given.
During the Women’s World Cup history was made as referees are announcing VAR decisions to the spectators in the stadium through a microphone.
It is the first time that this has been done at a senior international tournament.
And it has no been smooth sailing.
New Zealand were victim to a poor decision that ruled out an equaliser in their shock defeat to the Philippines. Jacqui Hand was ruled offside in a tight call.
Fans have been left frustrated by the VAR format with many complaining that announcing the decision before the explanation is futile given the cheers drown out the ref.
Others have bemoaned the standard of umpiring given how many decisions – particularly penalties – have had to be overturned.
From The Sun
7:45AM KNOCKED OUT BUT PROUD
It was an emotional night for Ireland players as their FIFA World Cup dream came to an end – with a game in hand.
Defeat to Canada confirmed their exit and they team will fly home next week, but with their heads held high, insists Katie McCabe.
She said: “We’re heartbroken about the result. What I am is very proud of the team and how we performed and how we gave it everything right until the very end.
“My message was mostly how proud I was of each and every single player and staff member because of the journey we’ve all been on to get here.
“We showed at times we’re standing toe to toe with some of the best in the world. We want to get used to that.”
Originally published as FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 schedule, groups, results: Yamila Rodriguez trolled over tattoo
