Cristiano Ronaldo’s sister has defended the Portugal captain following criticism of his display against DR Congo by insisting none of Roberto Martinez’s players performed to the expected standard.
Portugal were forced to settle for a disappointing 1-1 draw in Houston after surrendering an early lead in their opening World Cup fixture.
Joao Neves had put Martinez’s side ahead with a deft header, only for Yoane Wissa to equalise shortly before half-time after being left unmarked inside the penalty area.
Ronaldo led the line for Portugal but was unable to convert either of the chances that fell his way after the interval, with pundits questioning the veteran forward’s influence.
Former Arsenal and France striker Thierry Henry suggested the 41-year-old was focusing too heavily on his own goalscoring ambitions rather than the needs of the team.
“The team needs to score, it’s not you who needs to score,” Henry said during analysis on Fox Sports.
Ronaldo’s sister, Katia Aveiro, quickly came to her brother’s defence on social media, arguing that Portugal collectively fell short.
“They magically forgot how to pass the ball, how to win the ball, how to counter-attack, the game ‘rolled’ back from midfield,” she wrote on Instagram.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s sister has defended the Portugal captain following criticism of his display against DR Congo by insisting none of Roberto Martinez’s players performed to the expected standard
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“This ‘Cup’ is strange. Strange. But let’s go. Wrong starts, accurate finishes. Until the end.”
Aveiro later expanded on her thoughts in a video message, insisting she was not prepared to single out any individual player.
“I was reading some messages,” she said.
“Obviously, as a supporter of my country, I was disappointed. We didn’t play well, no player played well.
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“We started the game well, but that was just the beginning.
“But as I’ve always heard: ‘Bad beginnings, good endings’.
“Let’s think positively, only those who are there make mistakes. They made mistakes, they weren’t the team we expected – mind you, nobody played well, in my humble opinion.”
Aveiro also explained why the result had not overshadowed her day, referencing the tragic deaths of Liverpool forward Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva last year.
“I’m sad when I see that image of Diogo Jota’s mother and father, that’s what sadness is,” she said.
“It would be selfish of me to feel sad because of the disappointment of our draw in the World Cup opener.
“Especially since I woke up happy today and this draw isn’t going to take away my happiness.”
Cristiano Ronaldo toiled for Portugal against DR Congo at the World Cup
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Ronaldo made history against DR Congo by becoming the oldest outfield player ever to start a World Cup match at 41 years and 132 days.
However, he has now failed to score in each of his last 10 appearances at major international tournaments, spanning both the World Cup and European Championship.
Despite the scrutiny surrounding his performance, Martinez remains convinced Ronaldo is still Portugal’s most dangerous attacking option.
“It makes no sense to get the best goalscorer in world football out in a game that you need goals,” the Portugal manager said. “For us in moments like this, the experience of Cristiano in the box is important.
“The way that he attracts defenders is important, the way that we can use the space is important.
“And clearly when you look for goals, you need to have Cristiano.”
