Fake quotes on social media. Unprecedented post-match interviews. Rumour mill in overdrive.

Cristiano Ronaldo's record-equalling sixth and final World Cup was always going to grab headlines, though perhaps not as early in the tournament as we have seen and for the reasons listed above.

It all started with a sub-par performance from the 41-year-old in Portugal's 1-1 draw with DR Congo in their World Cup opener.

Then a regular post-match interview from Joao Neves was blown out of proportion and the Portugal camp was thrown into chaos.

Neves is no stranger to facing the media in difficult circumstances.

In March 2024, Benfica had just been humiliated 5-0 by rivals Porto. Despite having lost his mother only a few days before, it fell to the then 19-year-old, in his first senior season as a regular starter, to explain the result at the final whistle.

When compared with that night at the Dragao stadium, last week's 1-1 draw with DR Congo in Portugal's World Cup opener felt understandably insignificant, as frustrating as it was.

And yet Neves' words in that post-match interview threw the country into crisis before the Uzbekistan game on Tuesday (18:00 BST).

The Paris St-Germain midfielder had been asked about Ronaldo's role in the Portugal squad.

"We know what Ronaldo has done for our national team, but at this moment I feel that for him, and for everyone, he's one of us. He's one more player trying to help, he's no different to the others. He's here to contribute like we all will," Neves said.

What followed was a backlash that few could have anticipated.

Ronaldo fans flooded the social media accounts of Neves, Bruno Fernandes and others, accusing them of not respecting the Portugal captain.

Even by Ronaldo's standards as a global superstar, the reaction felt unprecedented.

"It highlights the risk of a civil war that could emerge within the national team," said Vitor Pinto of the Record newspaper.

It could have all been irrelevant, however, had members of Ronaldo's inner circle not taken part in it too.

His partner, Georgina Rodriguez, reacted to a fake quote attributed to Neves' girlfriend, Madalena Aragao, before later deleting her comment, while his sisters Katia and Elma Aveiro shared posts suggesting there had been an attempt to freeze him out of the team.

On CMTV - Portugal's most-watched TV channel, in which Ronaldo is a shareholder - pundit and lawyer Luis Miguel Henrique, who has represented the striker in business matters, cited a fake quote attributed to Zinedine Zidane in defence of him.

Such was the turmoil that it inevitably found its way into the national team's camp in Palm Beach.

"Are Portugal polarised between those who are with Cristiano and those who are not?" was a question raised repeatedly in the side's news conferences.

"This shouldn't even be a topic of discussion," replied Ruben Dias in a tense interview.

Diogo Dalot said the following day: "We know there are a lot of people who don't want Portugal to win." After refusing to name them, he added: "If I had to do that, we'd never leave here. It's not my role."

Portugal are fully aware that only a convincing win against Uzbekistan can offer them some peace - preferably with Ronaldo scoring, of course.

'It's like there is one man who is far bigger than the collective good'

Ronaldo has now gone 10 consecutive games at major tournaments without finding the net since a penalty against Ghana at the 2022 World Cup.

Against DR Congo he had three shots - more than any other player - but failed to hit the target.

"Whenever people talk about Cristiano Ronaldo, it almost feels like Portugal are playing in Cristiano Ronaldo's country," said Luis Aguilar, a pundit for SIC Noticias.

"It's like there is one man who is far bigger than the collective good, and that it is more important for things to work for Cristiano Ronaldo than for the team, when that doesn't have to be the case.

"Because the reality today is that, unlike the comparison that is often made with Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo is not the best player in the Portugal team. Messi is still the best player in the Argentina team."

Despite his struggles in Portugal's opener, the number seven remained on the pitch for the full 90 minutes.

Under coach Roberto Martinez, he has been subbed off 13 times across the 30 matches he started, but only once before the 60th minute - in the 5-0 win against Armenia in September 2025. As much as Martinez refuses to define Ronaldo as untouchable, the numbers paint a different picture.

"He's not the solution and that alone makes him part of the problem," said A Bola executive director Luis Mateus.

"His goals used to make up for his lack of defensive contribution. Now he is no longer scoring and he is affecting the entire attack. Mentally, because his team-mates still want to serve him even when there are better options, but also because he has become something of a square peg in the whole attacking process.

"He is on the pitch because of gratitude, not because of how he is playing."

A recent poll from the Zerozero website found that 63% of the Portugal fans who voted do not want him to start against Uzbekistan.

Portugal hoping to avoid 2010 repeat

This is not the first time Ronaldo gets to a World Cup, facing criticism because of a lack of goals for the national team.

Back in 2010, the situation was arguably even worse as the Al-Nassr forward arrived in South Africa having not scored in a competitive Portugal match for two years.

His response at the time was more light-hearted, though.

"Goals are like ketchup. When they come, they come all at once," he said.

He ended that drought in Portugal's 7-0 win over North Korea in their second group match. Ultimately, it proved to be his only goal of the tournament before Carlos Queiroz's team was knocked out by Spain in the last 16.

"It is now time to rethink a few things, to spend less time at the beach [there's been some controversy regarding that in the country] and more time in the meeting room," said former Tottenham and Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas, currently Porto president.

"Our ambitions remain enormous, because this is a golden generation and we want the man who has given so much to our country to leave the game holding the World Cup trophy, the same way Messi did in Qatar.

"But the coach will manage his playing time as he sees fit. I still believe we have enough talent to leave a much better impression."

That may be the only way to ease the debate about whether Portugal are a polarised team or not. (BBC)

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