Ronaldo shared a training photo on Instagram showing him alongside smiling teammates during a session. Alongside the image, he wrote:
Always united
Ronaldo had already expressed optimism following the tie against DR Congo. His latest post landed during a week filled with stories surrounding the Portugal national team, as speculation grew that discord could follow a disappointing start to the tournament.
Noise around Ronaldo and Portugal after the DR Congo draw
Portugal's failure to win the opener, combined with Ronaldo going scoreless, fueled heavy discussion about the squad's direction. Many voices have urged manager Roberto Martinez to bench the veteran striker, though Martinez has shown strong public support for Ronaldo.
French legend Thierry Henry, now serving as a World Cup analyst for FOX, also weighed in on Ronaldo. Henry suggested the Portuguese star often concentrates too much on his individual performance instead of prioritizing the team.
More controversy followed Portugal's World Cup debut. Ronaldo's sister reportedly called out the rest of the team for not passing the ball to the striker, with social media posts implying she also liked a post that criticized Bruno Fernandes' behavior on the field.
Joao Neves added to the conversation by telling the press that Ronaldo is not different from the rest of the Portugal players. Cristiano fans flooded Neves' social media with negative comments following those statements.
Ronaldo and Portugal look ahead
As team captain, the 41-year-old Ronaldo made a point of pushing back against the outside noise for now. He and Portugal still have two group stage games remaining, and there is still time for the squad to get back on track.
Portugal return to action on Tuesday, June 23, against Uzbekistan at 1 PM ET in Houston. A win would put them in a strong position to advance toward the round of 32. Anything short of a victory would likely put Cristiano and his team back in the eye of the storm.
