Cristiano Ronaldo's sister, Katia Aveiro, defended the Portuguese captain after he faced criticism following the shocking 1-1 draw against DR Congo in the 2026 World Cup
Cristiano Ronaldo, 41, played the entire match, but failed to score after missing two clear chances in the second half, drawing sharp criticism
Katia Aveiro expressed her frustration with the criticism leveled at Ronaldo on her Instagram account, saying: "They've suddenly, and strangely, forgotten how to pass the ball, how to win it back, and how to counter-attack... The game has inexplicably dropped off from midfield." She added enthusiastically: "This cup is very strange, but let's keep going; a bad start can lead to a difficult finish. We're with you until the end."
In a later video, Aveiro continued, "I was reading some messages... and naturally, as a fan of my country, I was disappointed. We didn't play well, and no player performed at their usual level. We started the match strongly, but it was only at the beginning."
"I've always heard the saying: 'Bad beginnings, good endings.' Let's think positively; mistakes are only possible for those in the thick of the game. They made mistakes, and they weren't the team we expected. And I repeat, in my humble opinion, no one played well, but am I sad? How can I be sad when the journey is still in its early stages?"
Katia Aveiro also expressed a different perspective on the concept of sadness following Portugal's draw, saying: "I feel real sadness when I see pictures of Diogo Jota's parents (referring to their death), that is sadness itself. It would be selfish to be sad just because of a disappointing draw in the World Cup opener; I woke up happy today, and this draw will not take away my happiness."
It is worth noting that the legend Cristiano Ronaldo became the oldest player to start in the history of the World Cup, at the age of 41 years and 132 days.
The all-time top scorer for national teams and the player with the most goals in history failed to score for the Portuguese national team in ten consecutive matches in the World Cup and European Championship finals.
