Portugal HubThe Portuguese national football team is facing an internal crisis before the match against Uzbekistan, this Monday (22), in Houston, for the World Cup. Francisco Conceição, Juventus striker, spoke about the controversy surrounding Cristiano Ronaldo after the 1-1 draw with the Democratic Republic of Congo.
What happened?
The crisis began after Portugal's debut in the World Cup, when João Neves, scorer of the goal against the DRC, stated that Cristiano Ronaldo was “just one more to help” and “no different from the others”.
Why is this important for Portugal?
The statement generated criticism from fans and opened a debate about the role of the number 7 jersey in the national team. The controversy grew after a montage attributed to actress Madalena Aragão, João Neves' girlfriend, went viral with a supposed criticism of Ronaldo.
What comes next?
Conceição praised Cristiano, but denied that the players have an obligation to look for him on the field. “Cristiano has his quality of scoring goals, there's no one like him in that regard, and we don't have that obligation, that need to pass the ball to him”, he stated.
| Player | Team | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| Cristiano Ronaldo | Portugal | 0 |
| João Neves | Portugal | 1 |
The Portuguese national team is trying to overcome the crisis and focus on the match against Uzbekistan. With the experience of Cristiano Ronaldo and the youth of players like Francisco Conceição, Portugal has chances to advance in the World Cup.
