Cristiano Ronaldo has not given Israel his public support. Instead, by means of numerous symbolic activities and social media accounts, he has often been linked to the pro-Palestinian cause, although he and his staff have never officially admitted it. Most rumors circulated by many have been proved false or unsubstantiated, such as the rumor that Ronaldo refused to exchange his shirt with Israeli players or the rumor that he gave out his golden boot payments to Palestine.
There have also been fake allegations of his support of Palestine through deep-faked audio and modified videos. Ronaldo has remained largely apolitical and has not made any direct comments over the Israel-Palestine dispute despite his massive popularity in the Arab and Muslim world, which views him as a Palestinian solidarity. International charity projects have also been his activity, although they are not directly related to this battle. Remarkably, on the backdrop of the Middle East tensions, Ronaldo also made a gesture of peace, such as when he sent an autographed jersey with the text Playing for Peace to the former US President Donald Trump. Any attitude toward Ronaldo, be it pro or anti-Israel, is more mediated by symbolic construals and discourses in social media than what the player has demonstrated.
Who is Cristiano Ronaldo?
Many people rank Portuguese professional football player Cristiano Ronaldo as one of the all-time greats. In his remarkable career, he has won five Ballon d’Ors, more than any other European player, and is often considered the best football player in the world. Among his many records are the most goals scored by a male football player for his nation (138), the most goals scored in the UEFA Champions League (140), and the UEFA European Championship and its qualifying tournaments.
He is one of the biggest goal scorers in the history of football, with a total of more than 930 goals across club and country in the course of his career.
Ronaldo has won a total of 34 senior trophies, in most cases league titles, 6 times UEFA Champions League, and FIFA Club World Cups. He has played in some of the biggest clubs historically, like Sporting CP, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus, and now Al Nassr. Furthermore, he has played over 1,250 professional games. He is known for his unique goal-scoring abilities, remarkable athleticism, and on-field leadership. In addition to personal accolades and awards, he has also given a lot to his national team, Portugal, and led them to win both the 2019 UEFA Nations League and the 2016 UEFA European Championship. He is a renowned sporting personality on the international stage and not exclusive to football.
What is the relationship between Israel and Ronaldo?
Rather than a direct political or personal affiliation, Israel and Cristiano Ronaldo are associated in an indirect manner, largely shaped by mass media and social media discourse. Ronaldo has never appeared publicly to defend Israel either socially or politically. In its place, he and Israel are frequently referred to in the context of his alleged sympathies with Palestine, which have been the objects of rumor, symbolic gestures, and misinformation.
How Ronaldo is viewed by his fans or even the news media in terms of what he is doing or what he is supposed to have said about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is what adds to his affiliation with Israel immensely. These have often been disproved or not confirmed, his sympathy with Palestine having been hinted at in some of his social media posts and photos. Ronaldo has not taken any side on the issue, having not publicly supported or criticized either Israel or Palestine.
Is Ronaldo an Israeli or a Palestinian?
Cristiano Ronaldo does not take a political stance on Israel or Palestine. Most of these claims, like offering donations to Palestinian organizations or having undertaken activities that are anti-Israel, have been proven to be false or yet to be proved, regardless of various accounts that have been told on social media or symbolic actions that have made him seem pro-Palestine. He has not taken any position to defend any of the sides of the war in Israel-Palestine. Ronaldo does not have much to do with politics, though, focusing his attention on his career in football and global humanitarian activities that do not have to concern themselves with this very situation. Instead of authenticated political support, the reputation of a champion of Palestine is mainly created through symbolic moves and meanings on social media. Ronaldo does not, then, officially support Israel or Palestine.
Is there any boycott campaign against Ronaldo?
As of 2025, a famous and organized boycott of Cristiano Ronaldo does not exist. This is nothing short of a formal boycott campaign against him, although he has had numerous prior controversies and media campaigns against him, most of which involved awards or other conflicts with football regulatory authorities. Ronaldo continues to enjoy the following of millions of people worldwide and is considered a worldwide sports legend. Some of the false information and distorted content in his political opinion, especially on the issues of Palestine and Israel, have not elicited online campaigns of boycotting him. A further sign of how popular and marketable Ronaldo has become is through the endorsements and high-profile ambassadorships that he still attains.
Is there any issue occurring in Ronaldo’s fame?
The fame of Cristiano Ronaldo has had its hitches largely due to the reaction of people to his awards and acknowledgment in football. In the past years, he has been vocal in criticizing the Ballon d’Or award and declaring it fictional, and that its credibility is destroyed. Not only has he criticized the award choice itself, but he has also expressed annoyance that it wasn’t given to him, or that he thought some other person received the award unjustly. This has impacted his standing in some way and has caused controversy and competition in the football world.
Nevertheless, these issues are not associated mainly with his personal popularity or fame, but with his connection to football awards. Ronaldo is still an extremely popular global athlete in a sport that has a huge influence on the field and in reality. By 2025, his reputation had not been dented by any major scandals or controversies, though his outspoken views on many topics have sometimes attracted mixed reactions.
A brief detail on Ronaldo’s support for Palestine
Rather than making direct political statements, Ronaldo’s apparent backing of Palestine is mostly based on symbolic actions, unverified accounts as well and social media accounts. This image that he supported the Palestinian cause was enhanced when he was caught sporting a Palestinian keffiyeh, a traditional scarf used to identify Palestinian solidarity. There are also other rumors that he donated the money, which he had raised with the sale of his Golden Boot, to Palestinian children in Gaza, and they are not verified.
Nevertheless, it has been determined that many of the online videos and comments that claim to depict Ronaldo showing his apparent support of Palestine are deepfaked or doctored. As an example, a video that was widely distributed and in which Ronaldo expressed some of the most pro-Palestinian views was found to have been manipulated in digital form to incorporate fake audio. Ronaldo has, nonetheless, publicly expressed himself in favor of the plight of the everyday person in war zones and has supported humanitarian causes, including Syrian children caught up in the conflict.
The confirmed charity work of Cristiano Ronaldo to Palestinian registers is meager and sometimes with fake news. The most particular and verified act is the one in which the money received after selling his athletic shoes was donated to the Real Madrid Charity Foundation in 2011 through Ronaldo. About 2400 euros was given in support of schools of Palestinian children in the Gaza Strip. Trustworthy sources attest to this act.
In a nutshell, Cristiano Ronaldo is not an official supporter of Israel. The fake news, social media accounts, and other symbolic gestures form the basis of his notoriety as a pro-Palestine activist. He remains a world sports icon who does not tend to engage in political scandals.
