Portugal’s opening draw with DR Congo has deepened debate over Cristiano Ronaldo’s role and brought online attacks against several teammates.
Portugal’s opening draw against the Democratic Republic of Congo has turned Cristiano Ronaldo’s role into the central flashpoint around the team, intensifying public debate over Roberto Martínez’s decision to start him and keep him on the field for the full 90 minutes.
The argument has quickly moved beyond tactics. Critics have questioned whether the Al Nassr forward should still be treated as an automatic focal point, while Ronaldo’s defenders have demanded greater respect for the most celebrated figure in Portuguese football and have suggested he was not served enough by teammates.
That divide has spilled onto social media. Bruno Fernandes, Vitinha, João Neves and Pedro Neto were among the Portugal players whose Instagram posts drew waves of comments accusing them of diminishing Ronaldo’s importance or being jealous of the achievements of Portugal’s No. 7.
Neves has faced particular scrutiny after comments were attributed to him saying that the squad respects and admires Ronaldo’s achievements but now sees him as another player in the group, not different from the rest. He was also accused by some commenters of failing to pass to Ronaldo in the opening match. Similar accusations have been aimed at other Portugal players, with critics alleging a possible boycott of the captain.
Vítor Pinto, director of the newspaper Record, described the reaction as a warning sign for the squad’s internal climate, saying criticism of Ronaldo now draws immediate backlash and creates sharp polarization. But he also pushed back against the most serious allegation: “I do not think there is any organized boycott against Cristiano Ronaldo inside the national team.”
Pinto’s assessment instead pointed to a football problem: Portugal struggled to connect with its center forward and did not appear to have a clear attacking plan in which the striker’s movement opened space for others to break the defensive line and finish chances.
The tension around Ronaldo is not new in Portugal, but the tone of some recent criticism has been unusually direct. Nuno Saraiva, a columnist for A Bola, published a piece headlined “Thank you for everything, Cristiano. Now it is time to go,” arguing that the forward has lost his place as the national team’s main reference point.
Martínez now faces both a tactical and emotional test before Portugal’s next match against Uzbekistan. After one stumble to start the tournament, another could make Portugal’s path at the World Cup far more complicated.
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