Hello

Your subscription is almost coming to an end. Don’t miss out on the great content on Nation.Africa

Ready to continue your informative journey with us?

Hello

Your premium access has ended, but the best of Nation.Africa is still within reach. Renew now to unlock exclusive stories and in-depth features.

Reclaim your full access. Click below to renew.

Argentina World Cup player with Ronaldo tattoo 'not anti-Messi'

Yamila Rodriguez

What you need to know:

  • 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

Auckland. 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.

Yamila Rodriguez has her left shin inked with the profile of Cristiano Ronaldo. PHOTO | COURTESY

"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."

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.