Portugal’s 1-1 draw with the Democratic Republic of Congo to open the 2026 World Cup has triggered a fresh wave of tension around Cristiano Ronaldo and the national team. The 41-year-old captain has not scored in the tournament, and criticism has grown over whether Portugal should still be built around him.
The controversy centered on midfielder Joao Neves of Paris Saint-Germain, who said after the match that Ronaldo is “just another player who contributes to the team” and “one of us, no different from the others.” Some Ronaldo supporters took that as a slight against the captain, and social media quickly filled with attacks on Neves, Bruno Fernandes and other players, accusing them of not showing Ronaldo enough respect or not passing to him enough. Wives and partners of Portuguese players were also targeted, in what appeared to be a coordinated campaign by Ronaldo fans or accounts pretending to be them.
The row escalated when a post was circulated online and falsely attributed to Neves’ partner, Madalena Aragao, saying, “Tell your GOAT to retire, he is very selfish.” Portuguese reports said the comment was fake and did not come from her. Even so, Georgina Rodriguez, Ronaldo’s partner, responded to the post with, “Wow, this generation is strong,” followed by laughing emojis, which reignited the dispute because she had reacted to a fabricated message aimed at a teammate’s partner.
Inside the squad, leaders tried to calm the situation. Captain Ruben Dias said the players were detached from online noise and called it “meaningless.” Ronaldo also posted a group training photo showing Neves with the caption, “Always united.” But the pressure remains, with Ronaldo having failed to score in his last 10 matches at major tournaments for Portugal, and comparisons to Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland only adding to the debate. Portugal next face Uzbekistan in their second group match, where they need both a win and an end to the growing media storm.
