Portugal's World Cup preparations have been overshadowed by internal tension after midfielder Joao Neves' measured comments about Cristiano Ronaldo sparked a fierce backlash from the forward's supporters online.

Neves scored Portugal's goal in their 1-1 draw against DR Congo, but his post-match remarks drew far more attention than the result itself. "We know what Cristiano has done for our national team," Neves said. "But at this moment I feel, from him and from all of us, that he is just another one to help [the team]; he's no different from the others."

Online storm

The comments — widely seen as fair and measured by football observers — were interpreted by a section of Ronaldo's fanbase as a personal attack. Neves' social media accounts, along with those of his girlfriend Madalena Aragao, were flooded with hostile messages.

Portugal teammate Bruno Fernandes and PSG defender Achraf Hakimi showed solidarity with Neves through emoji reactions, only to find themselves drawn into the controversy. Ronaldo's sister, Katia Aveiro, was seen to have liked a post targeting Fernandes, which read: "This one here (Fernandes) is the Raphinha for Portugal. He bottles it too much for the national team."

Ronaldo's form under scrutiny

At 41 years old, Ronaldo has struggled to make an impact at this tournament. His barren run at major tournaments now stretches back to the opening match of the 2022 World Cup — ten games and four years without a goal on the biggest stage.

Pundits Chris Sutton and Thierry Henry both criticised Ronaldo's display against DR Congo, and questioned manager Roberto Martinez's decision to keep him on the pitch for the full 90 minutes.

What comes next for Portugal

Portugal face Uzbekistan on Tuesday before closing out their group stage against Colombia the following Sunday. Colombia currently lead the group. The top two sides in each group, along with the eight best third-placed teams, advance to the knockout rounds.