João Neves post-match comments about CR7 following Portugal’s opening draw with DR Congo didn’t land well with Ronaldo’s loyal fans. Even the media didn’t spare him, weaponizing his comments. Luis Boa Morte was fed up with journalists centering all their news on Ronaldo. He slammed them before Portugal’s game against Uzbekistan on Tuesday.

“Of course, it is a distraction, because so far, what I’ve seen two or three days ago, the way they tried to get João Neves on the curb, it’s not fair,” Boa Morte said in an interview with CBS Sports. “The way they put the questions, and after they come from him saying that he said this or he said that, is not fair, because I think when a player goes there to a press conference, the journalists should be focused on asking about the team or about the player who is having the press conference. Because, to be honest, more or less, the press conference of the Portugal national team has been all about Ronaldo. It’s not fair for the players; it’s not fair for Ronaldo; it’s not fair for the team.”

When Neves was asked about Ronaldo’s role in the squad, the PSG midfielder had said, “We know what Cristiano has done for us, for our national team, and for the world of football. But at this moment, he and we know that he is no different. He is just another player here to help; he is no different from the others and here to contribute, just like all of us.” The remark, intended as a statement of team unity, was instead ripped apart online.

From there, the episode quickly escalated. When asked whether the team had an obligation to feed Ronaldo the ball, winger Francisco Conceição explained that on-pitch decisions are made in fractions of a second based on who is unmarked, rather than instructions to find a specific player. Georgina Rodríguez, Ronaldo’s partner, commented publicly on a false rumor that Neves’ girlfriend had criticized the captain, adding fuel to the already speculative story.

The day before, head coach Roberto Martinez attempted to put an end to the chaos. He insisted the squad was “more united” and “stronger” than before the tournament began. He admitted there was “a lot of noise, a lot of tension,” but described it as simply part of the World Cup. Without naming Ronaldo specifically, he had also said some of the criticism directed at the team was “unfair; it’s unjust.” Boa Morte’s comments before Uzbekistan went a step further, criticizing the press conference dynamic rather than just the captain.

Cristiano Ronaldo answers the noise with a brace against Uzbekistan

If Portugal wanted their captain to silence the conversation with action rather than words, he delivered. Ronaldo scored his first goal of the tournament in the sixth minute. He buried a right-footed one-timer off a Jao Cancelo cross to make it 1-0, becoming the first player in history to score in six different World Cups.

Nuno Mendes doubled Portugal’s lead in the 17th minute with an expertly taken free kick into the bottom corner. Ronaldo then added a second in the 39th minute, sliding in off a Bruno Fernandes through-ball. An own-goal by Uzbekistan’s Abduvohid Nematov in the 60th minute and a strike from Rafael Leao sealed Uzbekistan’s fate. Portugal now sits at the top of Group K with a 5-0 win.

Portugal’s dominance is also reflected in the underlying numbers: expected goal tally of 1.38 to 0.15, possession 64%-36%, shots 8-3, and big chances 4-0. It was as emphatic a response as anyone inside the Portugal camp could have hoped for. This came just one match after a result that sparked days of speculation about their captain and midfielder. A press conference circus that Boa Morte clearly felt had gone far beyond what the football itself deserved.