Cristiano Ronaldo has addressed the controversy surrounding his absence from the funeral of his Portugal teammate Diogo Jota. Ronaldo explained that he chose not to attend due to a personal vow to avoid cemeteries after his father’s passing and to prevent turning the solemn event into a spectacle with his presence.

Diogo Jota, aged 28, along with his brother Andre Silva, 26, tragically lost their lives on July 3 when their Lamborghini crashed off a motorway in Spain, leaving the football community in shock.

The tragedy was compounded by the fact that Jota had just married his childhood sweetheart days before the accident, deepening the sorrow surrounding his untimely death.

Ronaldo, who had recently celebrated a Nations League victory with Jota, faced criticism back home for not attending the funeral. This backlash intensified when photos surfaced of him vacationing on a yacht in Mallorca during the same time.

The 40-year-old football legend has now shared his reasons for not traveling back to Portugal, citing the need to honor his personal commitments and respect the family’s grief without causing additional attention.

Cristiano Ronaldo has revealed why he chose not to attend the funeral of Diogo Jota (left)

The icon opened up on the death of his former team-mate in an interview with Piers Morgan

Ronaldo had faced criticism after he was spotted holidaying on a yacht in Mallorca after missing the funeral

He confirmed in an interview with Piers Morgan that he did not want to create a ‘circus’ due to his presence, while stating that he had never been in a cemetery following the loss of his father Jose Diniz Averio, some 20 years ago.

‘Two things, people criticise me a lot, Ronaldo said. ‘As I say, I don’t care about that, because when you feel your conscience is good, free, you don’t have to be worried about what the people say.

‘But one of the things that I don’t do, it’s after my father died, I’ve never been in a cemetery again.

‘And second, you know my reputation, wherever I go is a circus. I don’t go also because if I go, the attention goes for me and I don’t want this kind of attention.

‘People can continue to criticise me, I felt good with my decision. 

‘I don’t need to be in the first line for people to see me, I’m planning the things, I’m thinking about his family, 

‘I don’t need to be in the cameras for the people to see what I do. I do [it] behind the scenes, my friend.’

Ronaldo added that he had the ‘opportunity to speak with their family and to give support’ away from funeral.

Ronaldo’s absence had drawn criticism from some quarters, with his sister Katia taking to Instagram to defend her sibling at the time. 

Ronaldo said he has not been to a cemetery since the death of his father back in 2005, with his sister recently recalling the ‘commotion’ and ‘added pain’ caused by onlookers at the funeral

Jota was laid to rest in Portugal with a host of his former team-mates in attendance

Jota tragically died in a car crash alongside his brother Andre Silva (not pictured) on July 3

She wrote: ‘When my father died, in addition to the pain of loss, we had to deal with a flood of cameras and curious onlookers at the cemetery and everywhere we went. 

‘And attention was not what it is today in terms of access… At no time were we (the children) able to leave the chapel; it was only possible at the time of the burial, such was the commotion.

‘At the funeral, there were presidents, coaches of the national team at the time, such as Luís Filipe Scolari, etc. I don’t remember seeing any of them. And they certainly greeted me. The pain blinded me.

‘About pain/family and real support… You will never know what it means until you go through it. If someone sends me a message criticising anything my brother does, I will block it (completely ignore it), that is, they will only do it once.

‘It’s getting tiring. The fanaticism. The criticism for nothing, I repeat nothing… Sick society… We all have families. 

‘It is absurdly shameful to watch TV channels/commentators/social networks emphasising an absence (wise) rather than respectfully honouring the pain of a mutilated family destroyed by the loss of two brothers. I am even ashamed to watch. Regrettable.

‘And so the world goes… Society and opinion. Today they are worthless. They themselves have become bottomless pits. I feel sorry… And war is also like that. Believe me. Human evil is also a war. And every day we have to fight against it. And so it goes.’

Jota’s final match came for his country alongside Ronaldo in the Nations League final just weeks before his passing. 

It was a triumphant occasion as Portugal beat rivals Spain to secure the trophy.

Ronaldo attended another special ceremony for Jota in September, after missing the funeral

Ronaldo shared that he had been in the gym in the morning of Jota’s death and ‘cried a lot’ after hearing the shock news.

The Portugal legend shared that the national team still feel Jota’s presence on international camps, while he paid tribute to his late team-mate’s character. 

‘I didn’t believe when they sent me messages. I cry a lot,’ Ronaldo said.

‘It was very, very difficult moment for everybody – for the country, for families, for friends, for teammates, devastating. Very, very, very sad news.

‘It was a shock moment. We still feel the aura there in the national team, when you put on the shirt, because Diogo was one of us.

‘He was a very good guy, a quiet guy, and, a good player, as you know, but very, how you say, not a guy that speaks too much…I really liked to meet [with] him, to share with him some great moments. It was sad.

After Jota’s death in July, Ronaldo had shared a photo of the pair togethers and wrote: ‘It doesn’t make sense. We were just together in the national team and you had just gotten married. To your family, your wife and your children, I send me condolences and wish them all the strength in the world. 

‘I know you will always be with them. Rest in peace, Diogo and Andre. We will all miss you.’ 

Despite missing the funeral, Ronaldo attended a special ceremony in memory of Jota’s life in September.

The ceremony was attended by the Portugal team as well as Jota’s family, officials of the Portuguese FA, agent Jorge Mendes and the country’s president and Prime Minister.