In the first group match against Democratic Congo, Portugal got off to a disappointing start with a 1-1 draw, and at the center of it all was Ronaldo, who was lethargic despite being on the pitch for the full 90 minutes. His poor performance, failing to record a single effective shot, was too fatal to be dismissed as simply bad luck. In particular, the scene where he attempted an unreasonable shot rather than giving up the opportunity to a teammate at a critical moment inevitably led to criticism that it harmed the team's organizational ability. Local Portuguese media and fans are raising their voices calling for him to be excluded from the starting lineup, and the fact that the majority of fans are calling for a generational change, according to opinion polls, clearly shows the harsh reality he faces.

Despite this public criticism, coach Roberto Martinez is acting as a shield by showing unwavering trust in Ronaldo. The coach praised Ronaldo as a 'true role model' who goes beyond being a simple striker and serves as an example during the team's training and preparation process, and highly praised the concentration he shows both on and off the pitch. However, in response to reporters' persistent questions about whether he would play in the second game, he took a strategy of avoiding a direct answer, saying, "The roster has not been confirmed yet." While this emphasizes cohesion within the team, it also indirectly suggests that the manager is also feeling a significant burden between deteriorating public opinion and tactical needs.

The controversy surrounding Ronaldo is not just limited to performance issues, but also spreads to rumors of discord within the national team, becoming the center of attention every day. As some of the content of interviews in which fellow players mentioned Ronaldo were distorted and spread, misunderstandings arose as if he was being ostracized within the team. Accordingly, Ronaldo tried to dismiss the rumors of discord by posting a group photo of the team on his social media and directly conveying the message, 'We are one.' However, in contrast to Messi's leading scorer, scoring 5 goals in 2 games in the group stage, Ronaldo's silence serves as a factor that makes him even more miserable.

The second match against Uzbekistan to be held on the 24th will be Ronaldo's last chance to regain his pride and a very important match in which the fate of the Portuguese national team will be at stake. Portugal is in desperate need of three points, and their opponent, Uzbekistan, is also predicting an extreme 5-back defensive strategy, so the game is expected to be very intense. If Ronaldo succeeds in scoring in this game, he will be able to set a record of scoring World Cup goals in six consecutive competitions for the first time in history and temporarily silence the criticism directed at him. However, if the team ends up scoring no goals once again, the issue of his starting position is likely to become the spark of a huge conflict that will shake Portugal throughout the tournament.