Joao Neves’ social media flooded with thousands of comments after his Cristiano Ronaldo statement
Joao Neves, the midfielder for Portugal and Paris Saint-Germain, recently faced a flood of negative comments from Cristiano Ronaldo fans on his Instagram.
Ronaldo, who is 41, led Portugal to a 1-1 draw against DR Congo in their first World Cup match in Group K. While this was Ronaldo’s sixth World Cup over the past 21 years, many critics pointed out that he isn’t as fast as before, and Portugal relies too much on him, which hasn’t worked out well.
Portugal took an early lead thanks to a great header from Neves in Houston. However, DR Congo’s Yoane Wissa scored just before halftime, so Portugal now needs to beat either Colombia or Uzbekistan to move on to the next round.
Even though many experts outside Portugal are questioning Ronaldo’s place as a starter, Neves fully supports him. After the game, the young PSG player told reporters, “We know what Cristiano has done for us and for football. But right now, he’s just another player here to help, just like all of us. He played really well, and the whole team did a great job.”
Neves’ kind words were meant to defend Ronaldo and show respect for his leadership. But some Ronaldo fans didn’t take it that way and flooded Neves’ Instagram with comments calling him out, saying he should show more respect to the football legend.
One user wrote, “Your comments about Ronaldo were disrespectful. You don’t have to like him, but you must respect him. He has 5 Ballon d’Ors, 5 Champions Leagues, and is the top scorer in football. He inspired millions of kids, including your generation. You have talent, but talent without respect means nothing. Legends built this game. Show some class and speak about Ronaldo with respect.”
It seems Neves’ honest words sparked quite a reaction, showing how passionate football fans can be about their heroes.