Portugal face Uzbekistan as Ronaldo backlash swirls after World Cup draw

Portugal’s World Cup campaign has already been pulled into a familiar argument, and it is no longer just about Cristiano Ronaldo’s finishing. After a 1-1 draw with Congo DR in which Ronaldo played 90 minutes, failed to score and did not register a shot on target, the backlash spilled onto social media and into the center of Portugal’s tactical debate before a crucial Group K match against Uzbekistan in Houston.

Ronaldo’s start against Congo DR made him the oldest outfield player ever to begin a World Cup game, at 41 years and 123 days, and took him to a sixth World Cup appearance alongside Lionel Messi. But the milestone came with little reward for Portugal, and the criticism landed hard because the team still looked organized around its captain rather than liberated by him. Thierry Henry said Portugal needed to score, not Ronaldo, and argued that one attack was disrupted when Ronaldo got in the way of Bruno Fernandes. For a side still chasing a first World Cup title, that is more than a celebrity dispute. It is a question of structure.

Roberto Martínez defended his decision to keep Ronaldo on the pitch for the full match, saying afterward that it made "no sense" to substitute him. Rúben Dias dismissed the criticism as "noise" and "insignificant," insisting it had not affected the squad. Diogo Dalot went further, saying Portugal had already held a detailed discussion before the tournament about the social-media backlash that could follow any drop in Ronaldo’s influence. Even so, accounts linked to Bruno Fernandes and Vitinha were flooded with posts from supporters demanding that teammates show Ronaldo more respect and accusing them of not passing to him.

That tension now travels with Portugal into Houston, where Uzbekistan await as World Cup debutants under Fabio Cannavaro, the 2006 World Cup winner and former Ballon d’Or recipient. Uzbekistan lost 3-1 to Colombia in their opening match, but FIFA has framed this meeting as a test shaped in part by Ronaldo’s standing in the game and in Uzbekistan, where he remains a major idol.

Portugal arrive with a heavier burden. FIFA says this is their ninth World Cup and seventh in a row, yet their best finish remains third place in 1966. The current squad, meanwhile, carries the confidence of a 2024/25 UEFA Nations League title, won on 8 June 2025 when Portugal beat Spain 5-3 on penalties after a 2-2 draw in Munich. That was Martínez’s first trophy as Portugal coach, but it has not settled the deeper issue now confronting his team: whether loyalty to Ronaldo still helps Portugal win at the highest level, or whether the cost of preserving that status is becoming too high.