Copa America 2024: Raphinha Hits Back at Ronaldinho for Claiming He Won’t Watch Brazil

• Raphinha has slammed legendary footballer Ronaldinho for saying he won't watch Brazil at the impending Copa America
• The Barcelona winger appeared to call the 2005 Ballon d'Or winner a hypocrite, stating he 'begged' Vinicius Jr. for tickets
• In this year's competition, the five-time World Cup winners will face Costa Rica, Paraguay and Colombia in the group stages

Brazil forward, Raphinha, has responded strongly to Ronaldinho Gaucho's decision not to watch Brazil at the 2024 Copa America.

The legendary Ronaldinho criticised Brazil's Copa America squad, claiming there is a "lack of love for the shirt" among the players.

Ronaldinho, who won the competition with the Canarinha in 1999 and the World Cup in 2002, took to Instagram to express his disappointment, calling it "a sad moment for those who love Brazilian football."

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He later granted an interview, publicly declaring his intention to stay away from matches involving his home country, as noted by MARCA.

While Ronaldinho's standpoint might be harsh, the 44-year-old's criticism stems from Brazil's underwhelming performances and a series of lacklustre displays resulting in poor outcomes.

Despite some improvement under veteran coach Dorival Junior, the nine-time South American champions are still not at their best.

Heading into the Copa America with a disappointing 1-1 draw against the United States, Ronaldinho's claims about the current Brazilian talent's lack of quality and spirit seem to have some validity.

Raphinha hits back at Ronaldinho, calls him 'hypocrite'

However, Raphinha did not take the 2005 Ballon d'Or winner's comments lightly.

He accused him of being hypocritical, revealing that Ronaldinho had asked Vinicius Junior for tickets to watch Brazil's games at the tournament just a few days earlier.

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“Ronaldinho says that he will not watch the Brazilian national team? A few days ago, he was writing to Vinicius Junior and asking him to provide him with tickets so that he could come and watch the national team’s match,” the Barcelona star said, as quoted by MadridXtra.

Why doesn't Ronaldinho want to watch Brazil?

Earlier, Sports Brief reported that Ronaldinho has announced he will not watch Brazil's matches in the upcoming 2024 Copa America.

Explaining his strong stance, he criticised Brazil's current lack of grit, dedication, drive, and joy in their play.

The 44-year-old intends to abandon supporting the nine-time champions of the Copa America.