Cristiano Ronaldo goal drought: Ruben Dias responds to Thierry Henry criticism of Portugal captain

Portugal are attempting to block out external criticism after their underwhelming 1-1 draw with DR Congo in their World Cup 2026 opener.

Roberto Martinez’s side dominated possession and completed 740 passes but mustered only one shot on target against opponents returning to the tournament after a 52-year absence.

The result extended Cristiano Ronaldo’s goal drought in major international tournaments to 10 matches, stretching back to the 2022 World Cup.

The 41-year-old, still the all-time leading international scorer, has been singled out by some observers for his display.

However, one of the senior figures in the camp insists that outside opinion will not derail their campaign.

Ronaldo criticism branded ‘noise’ amid media scrutiny

Speaking at Portugal’s training base on Friday, defender Ruben Dias described the reaction to the draw and the focus on Ronaldo as insignificant.

"The criticism is not significant for us, it's noise and part of the competition... it's all noise,” said Dias via The Independent.

"It always happens if you have a match that doesn't go well. We're closing ourselves off from unnecessary criticism.

The Manchester City defender instead chose to focus on the team’s ambition and discussed the demands on one of the most talented Portuguese sides in years to thrive in North America.

"Cristiano, of course, is used to dealing with the media pressure we usually face in the club, the national team, world tournaments, European competitions,” the centre-back explained.

"In this sort of competition, it will never be perfect... this is a competition you can win only if you play well game after game."

Portugal look to respond against Uzbekistan after DR Congo setback

Former France striker Thierry Henry was among those to question Ronaldo’s display, suggesting that the forward was too focused on scoring himself rather than prioritising the team’s needs in key moments.

While the 29-year-old did not engage in that criticism of his captain, he declared himself fit and ready for Tuesday’s second group fixture against Uzbekistan after sitting out the DR Congo draw.

Portugal are preparing for another deep-lying opponent, and Dias believes his club experience against back-five systems will be useful, stressing the importance of positional discipline and decision-making in tight matches.

The defender remains confident that the 2016 European champions have enough quality to find a response and reassert themselves in the group with a more clinical performance in their second outing.