The Portugal camp has been thrown into chaos after a post-match interview with Joao Neves triggered an unprecedented social media backlash against the team, with Cristiano Ronaldo’s inner circle accused of stirring a ‘civil war’ that threatens to derail their World Cup campaign.
Paris St-Germain midfielder Neves had calmly described Ronaldo as “one more player trying to help, he’s no different to the others” after Portugal’s underwhelming 1-1 draw with DR Congo in their World Cup opener. The reaction was ferocious. Ronaldo fans flooded the social media accounts of Neves, Bruno Fernandes and other players, accusing them of disrespecting the Portugal captain. But the escalation came when Ronaldo’s partner, Georgina Rodriguez, reacted to a fake quote attributed to Neves’ girlfriend, Madalena Aragao, before deleting her comment, while his sisters Katia and Elma Aveiro shared posts suggesting an attempt to freeze him out of the team.
“Portugal face Uzbekistan amid social media backlash and internal tension over Cristiano Ronaldo's role.”
“It highlights the risk of a civil war that could emerge within the national team,” said Anibal Pinto of the Record newspaper.
Manager Roberto Martinez tried to calm the storm, insisting Portugal are “united” and “stronger” ahead of Tuesday’s crucial match against Uzbekistan in Houston. “We’re playing a World Cup, of course there’s a lot of noise, a lot of tension, it’s part of the game,” he said. “Our focus is on the team. We’re more united than before we arrived. There’s no tension.”
Yet Martinez admitted Portugal carry “the feeling of frustration” after their opening draw. Ronaldo, at 41 years old and appearing at his sixth World Cup, failed to score for a 10th consecutive major tournament appearance, missing several chances against DR Congo. His role as starter divides opinion, with critics arguing his style hampers the team.
“He’s an example, as a captain and he’s reacted as a captain, with a lot of experience. He wants to contribute, and he’s a role model for our team,” Martinez said. “But that doesn’t take away the feeling of frustration we all have, as a team.”
Former Manchester City defender Joao Cancelo added: “We didn’t create chances, and that isn’t normal in a team like ours. We have high quality players, among the best in the world, and we have to show that on the pitch. Tomorrow, only winning counts. We don’t have any margin for error.”
Failure to beat Uzbekistan, considered a weaker opponent, would intensify the questions already swirling around Ronaldo and the unity of Portugal’s star-studded squad.