Diogo Dalot has said Portugal took time before the World Cup to prepare for any potential backlash on social media, adding that having a player like Cristiano Ronaldo in the squad meant they needed to.
Critics took aim at Portugal and Ronaldo following their opening 1-1 draw with Congo DR.
Former France and Arsenal forward Thierry Henry was among those who called out Ronaldo, saying “the team needs to score, not you need to score.”
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Manchester United defender Dalot has defended his Portugal teammate, explaining that the entire squad had discussed the prospect of social media backlash should they not perform at the tournament.
“It’s very simple. In the locker room, at our stadium, we had the opportunity before arriving at the World Cup to have a detailed conversation about this [social media and criticism],” Dalot said.
“It was almost as if we’d anticipated that this would happen. Of course, when you have a squad like this especially with a player like Cristiano we have to be prepared, a little more than usual.”
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“The fact that we had that pre-World Cup conversation to prepare ourselves for these moments meant that when it actually happened, we were able to send the message that the group is unshakable — we knew this was going to happen. We knew we’d face difficulties and criticism … Sometimes unfair, sometimes untrue, and often blown out of proportion.”
Portugal face Uzbekistan on Tuesday in what is shaping up as a crucial clash in Group K and Dalot has backed Ronaldo to bounce back as they hunt for their first World Cup title.
“Everyone already knows how well Cristiano handles criticism. He has over 20 years of experience with the national team,” Dalot said.
“I think what he conveys to the team, that confidence, those criticisms are just part of the game, especially given the level at which we’re capable of playing, being in one of the biggest, if not the biggest, competitions in the world.
“The confidence he instills in us, and we in him, has always been the same and always will be. As long as he represents the national team, I think he’ll always have that ability and will always be ready to play.”
