Portugal’s much-anticipated World Cup opener turned into a full-blown storm, as a frustrating 1-1 draw against DR Congo ignited locker-room tensions and sparked social media speculation. Icons and stars like Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, and Joao Neves had an off night, but on social media, a different picture was painted by Ronaldo’s outspoken sister, who appeared to endorse criticism of Fernandes.

Joao Neves handed Portugal an ideal start after heading them into the lead. However, a first-ever goal at the World Cup for DR Congo from Yoane Wissa drew them level. Despite having 75% possession, Portugal were bland on the ball, allowing DR Congo’s defense to frustrate them. With Cristiano Ronaldo missing a couple of chances in the second half and the others failing to make an impact, the game ended 1-1.

From head coach Roberto Martinez’s tactics to poor defending to incision-less midfield, nothing was spared as the performance was dissected. Katie Aviero seemed to have liked a post that criticized Fernandes for not performing as effectively for Portugal as he performed for Manchester United.

A Brazil-based fan account was hypercritical of Fernandes and noted: “When Portugal needs a leader the most, he often goes missing and leaves the responsibility to others. Fans expect a star who steps up when the pressure is highest, not someone who disappears when the game gets tough.”

Bruno Fernandes arrived on the back of winning the Premier League Player of the Season award. He made history by making 21 assists in a single season in the 2025/26 season and led his Manchester United to a third-placed finish. He was expected to carry a similar level at the World Cup.

But he was a shadow of himself against DR Congo. From missing simple passes to overhitting corners, he failed to create a single chance during regulation time. He created his only chance of the game during injury time in the second half. It was uncharacteristic to say the least. At Manchester United, every play used to go through Fernandes, but with Portugal, he is just another cog in a much bigger machine.

He needs to function in a midfield that has widely different profiles in Joao Neves and Vitinha, who demand the ball as well. This reduced involvement certainly hurt his production. During the 2024 Euros, Fernandes had similar issues as he scored only once during their run to the quarterfinals. He fared better at the 2022 World Cup with two goals and three assists.

But the blame for the 1-1 does not solely lie with Fernandes. Cristiano Ronaldo was guilty of missing two gilt-edged chances which he would’ve put away on another day. As two of the biggest stars, they faced the brunt of the criticism.

Aveiro was quick to point out her brother alone was not responsible for their failings. “They magically forgot how to pass, how to win the ball, how to counter-attack. The game became all about passing backwards in midfield,’ Aveiro wrote in a post on Instagram. This World Cup is strange. Strange. But let’s go, wrong starts, right finishes. Until the end,” she wrote on Instagram.

Aveiro has a history of protecting Ronaldo at all costs on social media. From branding the 2022 Qatar World Cup as the “worst World Cup ever,” to praising only Kylian Mbappe during the final of the same event, she even takes subtle digs at Cristiano Ronaldo’s arch-rival Lionel Messi and bashes negative fan behavior when Portugal loses. When Ronaldo was dropped to the bench during the 2022 World Cup run, she asked him to leave the squad and head home as she felt he wasn’t valued enough despite his contributions.

Her recent reaction only adds fuel to the fire, as the Portugal team made a false start to the tournament. Only a flawless performance against Uzbekistan on June 23 will douse all the fires and clear their path from Group K into the knockouts.

Joao Neves’ “Just another player” comments spark a storm

The mediocre performance from Portugal and Ronaldo dominated the conversations in the mixed zone. When Neves was asked about Ronaldo’s performance, his honest reaction invited trouble.

“We know what Cristiano has done for us, for our national team, and for the world of football. But at this moment, he and we know that he is no different. He is just another player here to help. He is no different from the others. He is here to contribute, just like all of us,” Neves said.

A few fans believed it was disrespectful to Cristiano Ronaldo to be branded just another player. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner is widely regarded as the greatest of all time by millions around the world. Ronaldo inspired thousands to take up soccer professionally and remains an inspirational figure.

However, the fans chose to attack Neves on Instagram when he celebrated his World Cup debut. From asking him to pass the ball to Ronaldo to criticizing him for downplaying the striker, the post was filled with 252,000 comments at the time of writing, which is nearly 100x the number of average comments he receives. There was support for Neves too, as Fernandes dropped a heart emoji under the post.

But there was incredible support for Ronaldo among the other players as well. Center-back Ruben Dias dismissed the criticism aimed at the former Real Madrid icon.

“First of all, the arrows aren’t pointing at just one player. Cristiano is a major focus of attention, but I think we’re all involved. Above all, apart from what I just said, I don’t think anything out of the ordinary is happening. It’s always been like this since I’ve been here. I believe it will continue to be in the future,” he added.

Coach Martinez also echoed similar sentiments as he believed he had no reason to substitute Cristiano Ronaldo despite his lukewarm performance.

“It doesn’t make sense to take the world’s best goal-scorer off when you need a goal. Ronaldo’s experience in the box is crucial. He excels at dragging defenders out of position. When thinking about goals, he had to stay on,” Martinez justified his decision.

But the manager also promised some changes in the lineup for the next game. With plenty of drama going on off the field, Portugal will be eager to return to the pitch and mute the unnecessary noise.