'In Brazil, he's just fat': Kaka on how Ronaldo Nazario is viewed at home & abroad

Legendary Brazilian midfielder Kaka has provided shocking details of how players are viewed back home in comparison to other countries. He used the example of former teammate Ronaldo Nazario to illustrate his point as he said that most Brazilians just view the 46-year-old as 'fat.' He also commented upon how Brazilians view Neymar after the 30-year-old received severe criticism from some of the fans after he got injured during a critical juncture of the FIFA World Cup 2022 tournament.

'Many Brazilians don't support Brazil': Kaka

While speaking to beIN Sports, Kaka said, "It's strange to say this, but many Brazilians don't support Brazil. It happens sometimes. If you see Ronaldo walking around here, you will say 'wow', he has something different here. In Brazil, he's just a fat guy walking down the street."

It is pertinent to note that Ronaldo Nazario is one of the most successful footballers of all time, having won several honours for both club and country. Not only is the 46-year-old a two-time Ballon d'Or winner (1997, 2002), but he has also won the FIFA World Cup on two occasions, among several other trophies for the clubs he has played at.

Speaking of how some Brazilians view the former Real Madrid striker in comparison to other countries, Kaka added, "Of course, many Brazilians love Ronaldo. I love Ronaldo, but the way he is respected in Brazil and abroad is different. I see more respect for him outside the country than there."

Kaka then went on to add how Neymar is viewed in the country by stating, "At the moment, a lot of people in Brazil are talking about Neymar, but in a negative way. Maybe it's because of politics, but Brazilians sometimes don't recognize our talents."

Neymar, who recorded a video at the end of September to publicly voice his support for Jair Bolsonaro during the Brazilian presidential election, got injured during Brazil's FIFA World Cup group stages and only made his return to the squad once the knockouts began. Following his injury, several Brazilians criticised him for getting injured at a critical juncture of the tournament.