Cristiano Ronaldo’s sister continued a staunch defence of her younger sibling by co-signing a social media post that appeared to take a swipe at Lionel Messi after his Ballon d’Or win this week.
The Argentine took home a record-extending eighth trophy at Monday night’s ceremony in Paris after starring for his national team as they won the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
The triumph saw Messi go three clear of his old rival, who won the last of his five Ballon d’Or awards in 2017. While many lauded the 36-year-old for the unprecedented feat, others claimed the prize was little more than a lifetime achievement award.
Katia Aveiro, 46, appeared to agree with the latter as she commented on a social media post praising the exploits of the Portuguese great shortly after Monday’s ceremony.
The post on X, formerly Twitter, showed the 38-year-old surrounded by his raft of personal honours including three UEFA Men’s Player of the Year awards, four European Golden Shoes and five Ballon d’Ors.
Katia Aveiro liked and commented on a post that appeared to take a dig at Lionel Messi
Katia Aveiro (left) has been a vocal supporter of her brother Cristiano Ronaldo in recent years
Lionel Messi claimed his eighth Ballon d’Or title on Monday night in Paris
The image was accompanied by the caption: ‘Earned, not given.’ In an apparent dig at the former Barcelona star who has claimed at least two somewhat contentious prizes in recent years.
Aveiro liked the post and commented with five clapping emojis – potentially in a nod to her brother’s own tally or just to emphasise the degree to which she supported the message.
It’s not the first time Portuguese pop singer has waded into modern football’s eternal debate. Last year, she labelled the World Cup as ‘the worst ever’ in a dramatic post on social media.
She wrote: ‘The worst World Cup of all time,’ before eventually praising the victorious South America side by adding: ‘That thankfully gave us a great final. What a match. Congratulations to Argentina.’
Aveiro had earlier urged Ronaldo him to leave the World Cup and come home to a place where he has ‘all the gratitude and not ingratitude’ following his demotion to Portugal’s bench during the tournament.
