FIFA World Cup 2026: Dalot hits back at Portugal’s critics and defends Ronaldo

Portugal defender Diogo Dalot gave a defiant response to critics on Saturday, claiming there were those actively opposing his country’s World Cup campaign after its faltering start in Group K. Dalot’s comments came after what he described as a tough few days following Portugal’s disappointing 1-1 draw with the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The result sparked a barrage of online criticism and abuse ahead of their clash with Uzbekistan on Tuesday.

“The criticism will come, but the message we have is that millions of people want Portugal to win, and there are people who don’t want Portugal to win,” Dalot told reporters.

«I have been in football for a while and know that criticism is part of the process and that we cannot run away from it. But there is also constructive criticism.»

“Our message is clear: we are a close group, we are strong and we are ready to do anything to win.”

When asked to identify his targets, the 27-year-old remained coy.

“I can’t name one or two people, but there are people who don’t want Portugal to win,” he added. «My job is to go out, play and send a message that the group is strong and united, despite the result. The team wants to do better.»

Dalot also jumped to the defense of Cristiano Ronaldo, who has faced particular criticism after a disappointing start to his sixth World Cup.

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«Everyone is aware of Cristiano’s ability to deal with criticism. With what people have shared, the criticism is part of his environment,» Dalot said.

“Pressure is part of a competition at this level. Our opinion of him has not changed, he will always be ready to help and represent his country.”

Dalot also revealed that the players deliberately protected themselves from the social media backlash.

“Without revealing too much of what we say in private conversations, we had a conversation about social media and criticism before the World Cup,” he said.

“When you have a team like this, especially with Cristiano in your team, we have to learn to deal with criticism that is not normal… That’s why the team was cut off from criticism ‌on social media.

«The positive aspect we see is that it happened early in the tournament. The earlier the setbacks, the easier it is for us to end that theme and move on.»

Published on June 20, 2026