Cristiano Ronaldo's New Statue Doesn't Look Much Like Him

Real Madrid and Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo
Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo, center, at the unveiling of his statue in Funchal, Portugal, on March 29. Madeira Airport has been renamed after the footballer. Rafael Marchante/Reuters

Cristiano Ronaldo unveiled a statue of himself in his hometown of Funchal, Madeira, on Wednesday, but one might be forgiven for missing the likeness.

Ronaldo, the Real Madrid superstar, was present at Aeroporto de Madeira as it was renamed Aeroporto Cristiano Ronaldo in recognition of the four-time Ballon d'Or winner's achievements.

Ronaldo was seen laughing and joking with dignitaries in front of the statue, which bears a strange grimace and drew a range of humorous criticisms on Twitter.

BBC presenter Dan Walker suggested it looked more like Niall Quinn, the Arsenal and Sunderland striker who played in the 1980s and 1990s, than the man of the moment.

When you send the statue guy a picture of Niall Quinn instead of Cristiano Ronaldo #Awkward 😂 pic.twitter.com/0VR8qPskVF

— Dan Walker (@mrdanwalker) March 29, 2017

Another account was more creative, suggesting Ronaldo's face had morphed into a combination of former Formula One driver David Coulthard and Sloth from The Goonies.

The statue of Ronaldo outside the newly named Cristiano Ronaldo Airport looks across between David Coulthard and Sloth from The Goonies. pic.twitter.com/G6dBd2QcD0

— Natter Football (@NATTERFOOTBALL) March 29, 2017

The strangeness of the bust was accentuated when it was Photoshopped onto a picture of Ronaldo's actual body.

Ronaldo already has a statue in Funchal, which is also the location of a museum that houses the trophies he has won in his career.

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