Ronaldo responded on X with a message to keep the camp focused on what is ahead.
It wasn't the start we wanted, but this is far from over. Head up and focus on the next game.
Some accounts tied to his fan base appear to have taken a harsher tone online. Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes and his wife, Ana Pinho, reportedly had recent Instagram posts flooded with comments about Ronaldo. Social posts suggest the same pattern has hit several other Portugal players, with messages demanding they pass the ball to Ronaldo and show respect for CR7.
Under one of Pinho's posts, commenters wrote that Bruno should respect Ronaldo as Portugal's greatest player and asked her to tell him to pass to Cristiano. Fernandes' own Instagram page from three days ago drew a similar wave of replies.
Ronaldo, meanwhile, shared a team training photo on Instagram with the caption "Sempre Unidos!" This week he and Messi became the first men to appear in six World Cups. Ronaldo has eight goals across those six tournaments, while Messi's 16 are tied with Miroslav Klose for the most in men's World Cup history. Portugal have never the World Cup and reached the quarterfinals at Qatar 2022 before falling to Morocco.
Portugal next face Uzbekistan on Tuesday, June 23, at NRG Stadium in Houston, then close Group X against Colombia on Saturday, June 27, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
