With rumors of tension surrounding Portugal after a surprising 1-1 draw against DR Congo to start the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Cristiano Ronaldo let everyone know that the atmosphere within the locker room is still positive.
“Always united,” Ronaldo wrote on Instagram as he shared a picture with his teammates in training, all of them smiling during the session.
Ronaldo had already showed optimism after the tie against DR Congo, but his post comes at a special moment considering the countless stories involving the Portugal national team that surfaced during the week.
Noise around Ronaldo, Portugal after DR Congo draw
Ronaldo’s scoreless game and Portugal’s failure to win gave plenty to talk about. Many are urging Roberto Martinez to bench the veteran striker, but Martinez showed strong support for Ronaldo.
Even French legend and now World Cup analyst for FOX Thierry Henry had something to say about Ronaldo, suggesting that the Portuguese star often concentrates too much on his individual performance instead of prioritizing the team.
More controversy followed Portugal’s 2026 World Cup debut with Ronaldo’s sister reportedly calling out the rest of the team for not passing the ball to the striker, with social media posts implying that she also liked a post that criticized Bruno Fernandes’ behavior on the field.
Joao Neves also made noise by telling the press that Ronaldo isn’t different from the rest of the Portugal players, as Cristiano fans flooded Neves’ social media with negative comments following his statements.
Ronaldo, Portugal ready to turn the page
Either way, as the team captain, Ronaldo made sure to shut down the outside noise for a while. The 41-year-old knows that Portugal have two group stage games to play, and there’s still time to get back on track.
Ronaldo and Portugal return to action on Tuesday, June 23, when they take on Uzbekistan at 1 PM (ET) in Houston. A win would see them take a strong step towards the round of 32, but anything short of that will once again put Cristiano and his team in the eye of the storm.
