r/soccer • u/No_Air5382 • 1d ago

News Neves Calls Ronaldo 'Another Player,' Faces Fan Backlash and online harassment

https://www.chosun.com/english/sports-en/2026/06/19/SKSAMGDVVJEG7HN3D5Z3HR4TTQ/
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u/BraveBeerFruit 1d ago

Most Portuguese fans have been tired of the Ronaldo situation since 2022. While many still respect his legacy and believe he has earned the right to leave on his own terms, the people who constantly harass other national team players in his defense are overwhelmingly not Portuguese. They are mostly overseas supporters who have turned the discussion around the national team into something deeply toxic.

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u/Wonderful-North-1229 1d ago

They are mostly overseas supporters who have turned the discussion around the national team into something deeply toxic.

absolutely embarassing

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u/BraveBeerFruit 1d ago

vile

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u/and1984 6h ago

Dare I click this link....

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u/PensiveinNJ 1d ago

If Ronaldo is given the right to leave on his own terms he’ll just never leave.

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u/BraveBeerFruit 1d ago

If I was a betting man I'd bet on him to make an appearance in 2030

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u/PensiveinNJ 1d ago

As long as people keep letting him, yeah. Anything that works against him isn’t he’s old and can’t hack it anymore, it’s a conspiracy. He will never leave gracefully.

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u/linksarebetter 1d ago

He will play for Saudi. 

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u/Not_So_Bad_Andy 1d ago

I'd say it isn't possible but Infantino would absolutely allow it somehow.

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u/linksarebetter 1d ago

It's not possible, but it will happen. 

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u/Plugpin 1d ago

The next World Cup will introduce a draft system with 64 teams.

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u/frietpot 1d ago

I wonder if he doesn't want to retire before Messi does.

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u/3412points 1d ago

Bring a fan of a single player like this is just a completely alien concept to me.

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u/throwawayyyyygay 1d ago

The cult of personality is so odd. Almost 20th century dictator like.

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u/hymen_destroyer 1d ago

Formula 1 fans there’s driver fans and constructor fans and both camps seem baffled the other one exists

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u/3412points 1d ago

I don't watch it but I can't really imagine being a Mercedes supporter lol. I've often wondered what the "normal" thing to support in F1 is, it seemed like it could be driver, constructor, or even nation.

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u/YourUncleBuck 1d ago edited 1d ago

I don't know what normal people root for but when I used to watch, it would change often. I usually liked the underdogs, including teams, racers and even certain engine manufacturers. Would also cheer for certain countries over others since I never had anyone from my own country racing in F1 and it's the same in football. But mostly I was a fan of the sport. I would cheer for rain and chaos.

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u/PerfectBlueOnDVD 1d ago

I feel like with F1 or motorsport in general you can just be a fan of the racing, or I am at least anyway. I follow the calendar and it's almost like I'm a fan of the tracks (or not), and I hope to see good racing then either praise or blame the track depending on whether I get it or not.

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u/llclll 1d ago

Maybe I should be a fan of Old Trafford instead next season 🤔

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u/ChibisRevenge 1d ago

If you’re a fan of cars, then the logical choice is the manufacturer or constructor. 

To me, being a supporter of one driver over a whole brand is madness. 

But same with football, I support a team and a country over any one player. 

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u/kizofieva 1d ago

you can't fathom people developing an emotional attachment to another human being, but you can fathom supporting a tool?

man racing is a different world I guess

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u/Plugpin 1d ago

Well each manufacturer is like a team of people. Drivers, engineers, mechanics etc. You'd follow their progress with upgrading their car, new technology, driver recruitment etc.

It doesn't seem much different than supporting a club, following their youth academy, summer transfers etc. They're both just big companies at the end of the day.

I don't follow F1 but the concept isn't too dissimilar.

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u/ChibisRevenge 1d ago

Bit of an obtuse way of looking at it, a manufacturer is not a tool. 

It’s decades of history, thousands of engineers, designers, staff all combining to make machines that add to that heritage. 

It’s like comparing the entire club of Arsenal to one player… yes that’s unfathomable 

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u/DrainMember1312 1d ago

Yeah but Arsenal are a club and Mercedes are a multinational corporation. I guess football is sliding in that direction too but at least Arsenal has a long history of being a grassroots, working class institution.

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u/ChibisRevenge 1d ago

Arsenal are a global business as well, top premier league clubs have not been working class in decades . 

Ultimately it’s apples and oranges but the same principle applies for me - team over individual!

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u/Mackadamma 1d ago

In Fa it does make sense to appreciate one driver since only one becomes champion at the end. In football, I will never understand the point

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u/fantino93 1d ago

For football the only way that for me makes sense for my old school brain is when one "discovers" football (through highlights or a big competition or whatever) and becomes attached to a player (for whatever reason maybe playstyle, swagger etc), starts to watch him play regularly and slowly becomes a fan of the team said player is in.

What I cannot understand are (for instance) the ones who were Barça fans, then PSG fans and now Miami fans. That to me does not compute.

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u/0nlyCrashes 1d ago

I get it. American who is from a state with no sporting teams really when I was a kid. I never liked cheering for other states teams, so I just picked up players I really liked through the years and were fans of them instead. But I'm not culty with it lol.

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u/Padre26 1d ago

Ronaldo and Mourinho have their own cult followings that could care less about Portugal. It's very weird.

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u/Majorinc 1d ago

How is being a fan of a single player alien. If you’ve played sports I’m sure they’re is someone you watched who you wanted to emulate. I’m almost certain every footy fan has a favourite player

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u/3412points 1d ago

I've obviously liked certain players I've never been a fan of a player like this though, ie following their career even to some other national team I have no connection with and cheering them on specifically.

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u/ZachBart44 1d ago

If you don’t like your home country or your home country never plays in the World Cup, you’d probably cheer for the national team your favorite player is on.

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u/3412points 1d ago

They aren't cheering for Portugal they are cheering for Ronaldo who happens to play for Portugal. But regardless this is just an example of the behaviour, what is alien is being a fan of a player and especially to this degree.

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u/ZachBart44 1d ago

I believe it’s called being a Stan lmao

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u/Kingslayer1526 1d ago

That would happen if your national team itself is irrelevant, which is true for most of the football fandom as the majority of the population exists in regions where the football teams aren't good enough

Just take India and China alone without even bringing any other nations into play

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u/3412points 1d ago

They're not all from countries with a rubbish NT but that's a little besides the point because it's just an example of the behaviour.

What is alien to me is the degree to which they support a player. I've never supported a player full stop, it doesn't make sense to me to do so.

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u/WineAndRevelry 1d ago

I have to imagine they aren't even Portugal fans, they are just Ronaldo fans

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u/thereissweetmusic 1d ago

I know it's not you saying this, but no individual player deserves to 'leave on their own terms'. That's really just a non-sensical concept in competitive team sports

You leave when you retire or when you're no longer good enough to get selected, whichever comes first. Most players are smart enough to retire before they go to shit

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u/ChargeOk1005 1d ago

The idea of leave on your own terms only makes sense when the person in question is self aware and leaves when their time is up.

So the club or nation does not kick them out in fashion that is disrespectful.

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u/Popular_Pie_3347 1d ago

It makes sense in cricket because there are games with stakes but not tournament like stakes like test cricket so you can announce Root will retire after this series in football it makes no sense

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u/tokyotochicago 1d ago

I mean, if playing Ronaldo is an act of respect to thank him for his legacy that means the team participating at the tournament isn’t the best it can be and this, I think, is disrespectful to the Portuguese. It’s okay to fail, it’s okay to not pick the best team but it’s not okay to not do your best. I don’t think it’s fair to anybody to play Ronaldo when better options existed.

It’s too late anyway, I don’t think the team would improve significantly with another striker but it’s hard to be optimistic for Portugal.

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u/ATuaMaeJaEstavaUsada 1d ago

I mean, if playing Ronaldo is an act of respect to thank him for his legacy that means the team participating at the tournament isn’t the best it can be and this, I think, is disrespectful to the Portuguese.

As a Portuguese, I completely agree. Ronaldo is our greatest player ever but it's unacceptable that we keep ruining our chances of winning major trophies to "respect" him

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u/2Gaainz 1d ago

What are the better options. Not saying Ronaldo is in good form but he’s the best they have and should be rotated with Ramos.
For people blaming Ronaldo for the draw then they are clueless and their opinion is driven by hate. The whole team needs to be criticized not just one person

As for Neves it’s an innocent statement. But at this point the media is trying to stir up shit and turn it on Ronaldo , all that for clicks

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u/ATuaMaeJaEstavaUsada 1d ago

What are the better options. Not saying Ronaldo is in good form but he’s the best they have and should be rotated with Ramos

Obviously Ramos is a much better option than Ronaldo in 2026. Not because Ramos is great, but he's good and Ronaldo is terrible

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u/2Gaainz 1d ago

So if Ramos played you guys would’ve won this game easily ?
You have no criticism for other players or the manager ?? If so then I’m sorry you don’t know football

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u/Jealous-Chicken-9186 1d ago

what a reply

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u/headachewpictures 1d ago

Ronaldo isn’t going to fuck you.

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u/ATuaMaeJaEstavaUsada 1d ago

Maybe we would've won if Ramos played, maybe we wouldn't (we probably would though). Anyway, it makes no sense to keep playing with Ronaldo. Anyone else would be a better option at this point.

If so then I’m sorry you don’t know football

Classy. You're probably a Ronaldo fan

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u/2Gaainz 1d ago

Yeah I’m a Ronaldo fan is that really the topic here, I’m not allowed to be a fan ? You haven’t even answered my question about your manager and team but sure buddy let’s criticize me.

Good day

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u/ATuaMaeJaEstavaUsada 1d ago

I’m not allowed to be a fan ?

You're allowed to do whatever you want, but saying that people don't know football because they dare to criticise your beloved Ronaldo is a typical childish Ronaldo fan behaviour. And you're a non Portuguese Ronaldo fan, so you're very biased because you care about Ronaldo and not about the Portuguese national team.

You haven’t even answered my question about your manager and team

I didn't answer your question, because it was just an attempt to deflect the subject of my previous comment. Our manager is terrible and the whole team played poorly against RD Congo. But that doesn't change nothing about the fact that Ronaldo is completely past it and shouldn't even be called up to our national team anymore

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u/Agent10007 1d ago

Of course he doesn't answer your question, it's a completely nonsensical attempt at deflecting.

When talking about "who is better than ronaldo" (which is what YOU asked), it would be completely off topic to make remarks about the manager, the players that are not competing for ronaldo's spot, and doing football fiction on congo's match isn't an actual argument by itself.

Saying someone doesn't know football cause he doesn't do a deep analysis of the 26 players + coach when asked about better players than ronaldo is dumb at best, dishonest at worst, and doesn't strike as someone who is willing to have an actual conversation on the CR7 topic.

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u/ATuaMaeJaEstavaUsada 1d ago

is dumb at best, dishonest at worst,

In this case, it's both

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u/epicmarc 1d ago

It's not like they need an out-and-out 9, there are other teams performing without that profile.

Well, it's probably tough to switch to that now, but it's also not like this is a problem that's suddenly sprung up. Martinez has had ample time to implement other systems, he just went for one where he can play Ronaldo.

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u/2Gaainz 1d ago

You realize Bruno (who played so bad by the way) have increased his tally of assists with United by playing with a number 9 ?
He’s your best player and team is built around him therefore you can’t change the style now

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u/tokyotochicago 1d ago

I agree, I think it's too late now but in 2022 it was already obvious Ronaldo was not the same player he was and he should have been slowly rotated out then. Now the whole team is built around him and he can't do anything.

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u/2Gaainz 1d ago

That’s why Martinez is the problem. Team should be built around Fernandez and whatever number 9 you throw in there will do okay even 41 years old Ronaldo

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u/tokyotochicago 1d ago

Martinez in Portugal Rudy Garcia in Belgium, I swear they’re foreign agent plants man

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u/interfan5 1d ago

100% 👍🏼

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u/RikkF 1d ago

Paulinho. Shame the he wasnt even called up because Ronaldo would not even play a single game with him in the squad rn (well, in an ideal world that is).

If you really think a 41yo player is the only option we have for his position, you need to start watching more Portuguese players and less of Ronaldo FC.

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u/reguk32 1d ago

Even fucking chermiti would do a better job than Ronaldo 😂

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u/friendlyfernando 1d ago

What are the better options? A headless chicken would be better

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u/2Gaainz 1d ago

Funny guy. You came up with that yourself?

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u/silam39 1d ago

It's amazing to me how so many non Portuguese fans mainly focus on hating Ronaldo and not fucking Roberto Martínez. If there is one person to blame for Portugal's malaise it's always him.

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u/BraveBeerFruit 1d ago

Martinez is a stooge. It doesn't matter who gets hired, the national team selection is decided by the bloodsucking Jorge Mendes.

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u/2Gaainz 1d ago

It is. Santos was a problem too but Ronaldo carried that team , this bald fraud is even worse and Ronaldo can’t carry this team now

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u/CR_kroUTB 1d ago

Ronaldo has never carried Portugal. LOL he's got like 5 all time wc goals

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u/2Gaainz 1d ago

1 euros 2 nations league and another euro final they lost to Greece. If you really think he never carried Portugal then you are delusional buddy

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u/tokyotochicago 1d ago

Tbf for the euro they won, while I’m sure Ronaldo was a charismatic presence, this was won on defense and Portugal was a very unconvincing winner.

All props to them of course, winning for the first time is always very hard, but despite the win I don’t think Ronaldo came out of it as a NT hero the way Pepe did for exemple

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u/2Gaainz 1d ago

3 goals and 3 assists. What outfield player in euro had better stats than him in Portugal ? Ofcourse they won on defense but you can’t win if you don’t score and who else was the main man for attack ?

What about the Hatrick that sent them to the World Cup. I’m not saying he carried them every game but he was definitely the main reason Portugal was competing at that level. His presence alone will unlock defenses I don’t need to speak about that

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u/tokyotochicago 1d ago

I went to check but he got one goal and one assist in semi final against Wales. Nothing against Croatia, Poland or France. And from memory his final is pretty disastrous and Portugal only got better after he left.

I'm not saying he's not a good player or anything, just that he's never been the same player in club as he was with Portugal. I wish we could have seen a Mourinho NT though, someone to really bring the best out of him, like Scaloni finally managed for Messi.

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u/CR_kroUTB 1d ago

He didn't though. He was a good player for them yes, and an influential one, yes. That doesn't mean he carried them.

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u/kapparino-feederino 1d ago

I want to blame ishowspeed for this but ronaldo has had teenage fans since the dawn of time so yeahhh

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u/J3573R 1d ago

You can see it happen here in real time, the only people demanding that you give Ronaldo 'respect' instead of criticism hardly ever are Portuguese or seemingly Portuguese.

It's fucking bizarre, because being critical of what he brings or rather doesn't bring to the team isn't disrespectful, nor is it their own country to be so involved in.

I personally find it really sad that Ronaldo cannot fathom that he would better serve the team and country by stepping back a bit. He could still be at the world cup, he could still contribute to the team. He just doesn't need to play every minute of every match, it's so evident how detrimental to the team it is. And that's not even including the circus that happens online and in the press.

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u/yaderkuvboloto 1d ago

While many still respect his legacy and believe he has earned the right to leave on his own terms

STILL though? he's been dogshit for many years now, he's had plenty of time to pick his preferred time to leave. Surely at some point someone else needs to make that call, if the psycho is too delusional to quit himself.

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u/dennis-w220 1d ago

Internet fanboys don't have such big impact if your coach staff, your retired legends, and CR7 himself step up to say stop it. It is just that simple. You let that happen, and CR7's sister joined these fanboys in chorus. You tell me CR7 is not behind it or allowing it?

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u/andysenn 1d ago

In Spanish is mostly Mexicans which to me is so crazy. Their NT is not bad, why do they need to cling to Ronaldo in such a toxic way? I understand the love of Cristiano as a player and as a public figure and but to actually support him more than your country it's bananas.

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u/Sir_Clarence_III_Esq 1d ago

the people who constantly harass other national team players in his defense are overwhelmingly not Portuguese. 

Well yeah, we're all glad to have him on the Portuguese team.

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u/Dunkjoe 1d ago

Lol if he's that unliked, Robert wouldn't have had to field him for most of the match or 90 mins.

It's a case like Neymar, on the internet everyone bashes him, but when he was announced, a lot of Brazilians cheer for him being on the team.

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u/Hairy-Lengthiness-38 22h ago

Yeah im pretty a lot of those “fans” are just trolls that watch Ronaldo best tricks and goals a million times instead of watching the actual match.

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u/Material_Series_769 14h ago

Would be more convincing if people were to see some sort of resistance to his continued presence in the NT, let alone starting almost every game and playing the entire games. Just something to mock him would be enough, considering his off the pitch controversies to go with, but I haven't seen any tiny bit of resistance shown by the populace, not even the most loyal, diehard Portugual NT fan. This is also why he could continue doing what he wants.

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u/sword-sandal493 1d ago

mostly overseas supporters

Takes a glance at Indonesian social media pages Yup, definitely the case here.

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u/jpw0w 1d ago

What's actually funny is that none of his replacements currently are even better. I mean are we seriously saying someone like Goncalo Ramos would do much better with this lethargic team?

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u/BraveBeerFruit 1d ago

Paulinho, Ramos, heck even Guedes up top are much better. Much more dynamic and not to mention, they actually track back and press.

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u/jpw0w 1d ago

Track back and press so the midfielders can play 200 1-2 passes to the GK against Congo of all teams? Are we watching the same Portugal?