"It is incorrect" - Journalist reveals truth behind Sofiane Boufal's 'I enjoyed seeing Cristiano Ronaldo cry' statement

Alkass journalist Omar Qahtan has revealed the truth behind Morocco international Sofiane Boufal saying that he enjoyed seeing Cristiano Ronaldo cry at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Portugal locked horns with Morocco for a semifinal berth at the World Cup in Qatar last December. To the surprise of many, the Atlas Lions emerged victorious, beating Selecao 1-0 and leaving Ronaldo in tears.

Although four months have passed since the clash, Moroccan attacker Boufal opened old wounds by allegedly saying that he enjoyed seeing the Portuguese icon cry that day. The Al-Rayyan star also reportedly swore his allegiance to Ronaldo's arch-nemesis Lionel Messi in an interview with Qatari sports channel Alkass.

"With all due respect to Ronaldo, I enjoyed seeing him cry more than how we cried. I prefer Messi over Ronaldo and the club I wish to play for is Barcelona," Boufal was quoted as saying by @ReshadRehman_ on Twitter.

While Boufal's supposed comments were understandably well received by Messi fans, they did not go down well among Ronaldo's.

Alkass journalist Qahtan, meanwhile, has offered clarity over the former Southampton attacker's statement. The reporter took to Twitter to reveal that the quotes doing the rounds on social media were in fact incorrect.

"It is incorrect what you have published regarding the Moroccan Sofiane Boufal’s statement about Cristiano Ronaldo," Qahtan tweeted.

Qahtan went on to clear the air by writing down Boufal's exact words on Ronaldo. As it turns out, this is what the Moroccan had said about the five-time Ballon d'Or winner leaving the pitch in tears after Portugal's World Cup exit in Qatar:

"With all due respect to Cristiano Ronaldo, it would be better for him to cry than for us. We were especially happy with our achievement (of progressing into the semifinals) and didn't have any other accounts!"

Qahtan added that Boufal's interview will be shown in full on Alkass on Sunday (April 16).

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Cristiano Ronaldo enjoying life at Al-Nassr

The year 2022 did not go according to plan for Cristiano Ronaldo, as he saw his playing time at Manchester United decrease under Erik ten Hag. He eventually terminated his contract with the Red Devils by mutual consent in November.

The forward then saw his influence in the Portugal team diminish during the World Cup. He was dropped to the bench for the knockout games before they were eliminated in the Round of 16.

However, Ronaldo put those disappointments behind him, joining Al-Nassr on a free transfer in December. He appears to be enjoying life in Saudi Arabia, having bagged 11 goals and two assists in 12 games across competitions.