Cristiano Ronaldo is facing criticism from all sides after Portugal's disappointing World Cup opener – including from his own sister. The veteran forward has come under fire for a lacklustre performance after Roberto Martinez's star-studded side were held to a 1-1 draw against unfancied minnows DR Congo.
Ronaldo, now aged 41, led the line for the full match on Wednesday in Houston but squandered two key second-half chances as the Euro 2016 champions pushed to find a winner. Portugal took an early lead through midfielder Joao Neves' flicked header, but they were pegged back on the stroke of half-time when Newcastle United forward Yoane Wissa headed home DR Congo's first-ever World Cup goal. Ronaldo has now gone 10 consecutive major tournament games without scoring for his country – a run that has seen him fire 33 shots without finding the back of the net.
Several commentators singled out the five-time Ballon d'Or winner for criticism, with Thierry Henry suggesting he was playing for himself rather than the team. “The team needs to score, it's not you who needs to score,” the Arsenal legend and Fox Sports pundit said post-match.
The scrutiny has become so intense that Ronaldo's sister even felt compelled to weigh in on the post-match inquest, admitting that the Portugal skipper and his teammates had performed well below par. Katia Aveiro, who lives in Brazil, wrote on Instagram: “Obviously as a fan of my country, I was disappointed. We didn't play well, nobody played well. They magically forgot how to pass the ball, how to win the ball, how to counter-attack [...] this World Cup is strange. But as I've always heard: ‘Bad beginnings, good endings.’ Let's think positively, only those who are there make mistakes. They made mistakes, they weren't the team we expected – nobody played well in my humble opinion.”
She added: “But am I sad? How can I be sad? I get sad when I see that image of Diogo Jota's mother and father, that's what sadness is. It would be selfish of me to feel sad because of the disappointment of our draw in the World Cup opener. Especially since I woke up happy today and this draw isn't going to take away my happiness.” Ronaldo and his Portugal side will hope to make amends on Tuesday evening when they face off against Uzbekistan at Houston Stadium for their second group match of the FIFA World Cup 2026.
