Yamilia Rodriguez has pleaded with fans to stop sending her hate mail and death threats about her Cristiano Ronaldo tattoo. Rodriguez, who plays for the Argentinian national team, has been accused by many of her compatriots of being a "traitor" and "anti-Messi". This is due to the prominent tattoo of Ronaldo on her leg. Ronaldo has a long-standing rivalry with Lionel Messi, stemming from their elite talent. Additionally, the pair spent nearly a decade on opposing sides of the Barcalona-Real Madrid rivalry in La Liga.
Rodriguez, who played 13 minutes off the bench in Argentina's 1-0 loss to Italy, plays her club football at Palmeiras in Brazil. She also has a tattoo of Argentinian legend Diego Maradona on her other leg. However, the level of hatred the World Cup debutant has received for her Ronaldo tattoo was enough for her to make a statement assuring people that she did not hate national hero Messi.
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Rodriguez Assures Fans That She Is Not "Anti-Messi"
Rodriguez posted to her Instagram story, showing an image of Ronaldo with his arm around Messi. "Please enough, I'm not having a good time. At what point did I say I'm 'Anti Messi'? Stop saying things that I didn't say because the truth is that I'm having a bad time (in the middle of a World Cup while representing my country). I'm not having a bad time because of you but for the atrocities that are said, without mercy. Can't you have an idol or a player you like? I never said that I am 'Anti Messi,' I never would be. Messi is our great captain of the National Team, but the fact that I say that my idol and my inspiration is CR7 does not mean that I hate Messi... I like another player more, the one who inspired me. 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 their own appreciation, their preferences, and highlighting one does not mean burying the other. Enough, it tires me, it hurts me."
Argentina is next in action on July 28 against South Africa. It is a must-win game for the South American side. If they lose to South Africa, a Swedish win against Italy would eliminate them from the tournament. Furthermore, this is Argentina's fourth World Cup appearance. However, they have never won a game at the tournament. Their best performance was two draws and a loss at the 2019 World Cup in France.
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