Cristiano Ronaldo: Portugal defender Ruben Dias backs team-mate as fallout from World Cup opener continues - 'Everyone in firing line'
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Published 19/06/2026 at 21:32 GMT+1
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Cristiano Ronaldo endured a difficult opening night at the 2026 World Cup, extending his barren goalscoring run at major tournaments to 10 matches, but his Portugal team-mate Ruben Dias believes he is not alone in being in the "firing line."
'We are all in the firing line' - Dias defends Ronaldo ahead of second World Cup fixture
Video credit: SNTV
Ronaldo played the full 90 minutes as Portugal drew 1-1 DR Congo, but the 41-year-old was a peripheral figure, having just 25 touches - his fewest in a major tournament game for his country when starting and not being substituted.
Spanning both the World Cup in North America and 2024 European Championships in Germany, Ronaldo has now failed to score in his last 33 shots, only managing to hit the target on 11 of those attempts.
It has led to growing calls for Portugal head coach Roberto Martinez to drop the country's all-time record goalscorer and talisman for Tuesday's Group K clash with Uzbekistan in Houston, in favour of Paris Saint-Germain forward Goncalo Ramos.
Manchester City centre-back Dias had to field questions about Ronaldo's performance against DR Congo, but claims the criticism is applicable to all of his team-mates who struggled to convert Joao Neves' sixth-minute opener into a statement victory.
"First of all, I don't think the blame is being directed at just one player," Dias told reporters on Friday.
"Obviously, Cris is a major focus of attention, but I think we’re all in the firing line at a time like this. But, above all, and quite apart from what I've just said, I don’t think anything out of the ordinary is happening.
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"It's always been like this whenever I’ve been here, I believe it will continue to be so in the future and, as such, it's nothing new."
The fall-out to Portugal's uninspiring display, punished by Yoane Wissa's header on the stroke of half-time, has inevitably centred on Ronaldo's current struggles in front of goal with Thierry Henry a leading voice in the swathes of stern analysis.
Henry, in his role as a pundit for FOX Sports, said: "One thing that's important, people, please, at home: The team needs to score, not you need to score."
For balance, BBC pundit Wayne Rooney pointed out how Ronaldo's sheer presence preoccupied Axel Tuanzebe to allow space for Neves to score the opener.
There have also been developments on social media, with Madalena Aragao, Neves' girlfriend, seeing her Instagram account inundated with messages from Ronaldo's followers asking for the PSG midfielder to pass the ball more to the five-time Ballon d'Or winner.
Dias, however, refused to fan the flames by taking a view on whether Ronaldo's form is an unnecessary distraction as Portugal look to lay down a marker against World Cup newcomers Uzbekistan, who were beaten 3-1 by Colombia in their opening game.
"I don’t see it as either positive or negative," Dias said of the Ronaldo sideshow. "In the sense that I don’t feel I should think anything of it.
"I think each of us, including, of course, Cristiano, is used to dealing with the media pressure that we normally face at the club, with the national team, and in the context of the World Cup and European Championships.
"In other words, I don’t think anything new is happening and, as such, even amidst the difficulties and this slightly more frustrating period, everyone is still within their comfort zone when it comes to dealing with the situation they’re facing.
"I simply see this as a good opportunity. I’ve never seen a bad moment, a difficult moment in any of our lives, as an insurmountable wall, but rather as a stepping stone we can climb over. So I think it’s simply an opportunity to become better and stronger."
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