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'Hideous' Cristiano Ronaldo statue sparks social media laughs

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Reuters

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2017/sports/03/30/033017_ron.jpg"/><figcaption><div class="embed-desc">Cristiano Ronaldo attends the ceremony to rename Funchal Airport as Cristiano Ronaldo Airport in Funchal, Portugal Wednesday. <cite>Rafael Marchante, Reuters</cite></div></figcaption></figure></div><p>When the island of Madeira on Wednesday renamed its airport in honor of its hometown hero Cristiano Ronaldo, all eyes were expected to be on the four-time world player of the year who is adored not only for his soccer skills but also his model looks.</p><p>But grabbing attention instead was a bronze bust of the player with a toothy grin and bulging eyes that instantly created a laugh on social media because of its debatable likeness.</p><p>&quot;I defy you not to feel better after viewing this picture of Cristiano Ronaldo alongside his portrait bust,&quot; wrote one Twitter user, Tom Sutcliffe (@tds153).</p><p>&quot;That hideous Ronaldo statue is going to be a meme in 5,4,3...,&quot; posted @Agave310.</p><p>Another Twitter user deemed the statue &quot;the most gloriously awful bust&quot; of Ronaldo.</p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2017/sports/03/30/033017_ron2.jpg"/><figcaption><div class="embed-desc">A bust of Cristiano Ronaldo is seen before the ceremony to rename Funchal Airport as Cristiano Ronaldo Airport in Funchal, Portugal Wednesday. <cite>Rafael Marchante, Reuters</cite></div></figcaption></figure></div><p>The 32-year-old Real Madrid player&#x27;s girlfriend, Georgina Rodriguez, and his mother, Maria, both attended the renaming ceremony of Portugal&#x27;s Aeroporto da Madeira, now known as Cristiano Ronaldo Airport.</p><p>The newly revealed statue holds the distinction of being the second bust of the soccer star and occasional model that has been the subject of online ridicule.</p><p>Another statue, also in Ronaldo&#x27;s hometown, was picked apart for what some saw as glaring obscurities and differences in likeness between the player and his bronzed counter-part.</p><p>&quot;For a very handsome man, Ronaldo has had some appalling luck with statue-makers,&quot; quipped Twitter user Tom Williams(@tomwfootball), posting images of the two statues side by side.</p><p>On Tuesday, Portugal played their first match on the island in 16 years, the hosts losing 3-2 to Sweden despite an early Ronaldo goal.</p><div><strong>(Reporting by Melissa Fares in New York; Editing by Ed Osmond and Leslie Adler)</strong></div>

<p>When the island of Madeira on Wednesday renamed its airport in honor of its hometown hero Cristiano Ronaldo, all eyes were expected to be on the four-time world player of the year who is adored not only for his soccer skills but also his model looks.</p>

When the island of Madeira on Wednesday renamed its airport in honor of its hometown hero Cristiano Ronaldo, all eyes were expected to be on the four-time world player of the year who is adored not only for his soccer skills but also his model looks.