India, Nov. 7 -- Cristiano Ronaldo has broken his silence regarding his absence from Diogo Jota's funeral. The Al Nassr star was criticised by fans for not attending the event. Fans felt that as Ronaldo is Portugal's captain, he should have gone to the funeral.

Jota and his brother, Andre Filipe, were involved in a tragic car accident on the A-52 highway near Palacios de Sanabria in the Zamora region of Spain. The car had a tyre blowout while overtaking and caught fire after losing control. Many national and club teammates attended the funeral. From the Portugal team, the likes of Ruben Neves, Bernardo Silva and Bruno Fernandes were there.

Speaking on Piers Morgan's podcast, Ronaldo said, "I was with Gio alone during our rest period. I ...