Cristiano Ronaldo's sister, Katya Aveiro, criticized the team's 1-1 draw with the Democratic Republic of Congo in their first match at the 2026 World Cup. According to Sport24.az, she shared her thoughts on social media:
"They forgot to make magical passes, return the ball, or make counterattacks. The whole game was remembered for passes backwards and in the center of the field. This World Cup is very strange. I'm disappointed as a fan of my country's national team.
We played poorly. Not a single player played well. This was not the team we were expecting. But, as they say, a bad start often leads to a good finish, so let's think positively".
Note that 41-year-old Ronaldo was on the field for 90 minutes but failed to stand out.