“Criticism of Cristiano Ronaldo? I'm not a pundit.”

— Are the criticisms of Cristiano Ronaldo unfair? And why?

— I'm not a pundit. While some information does reach us… yesterday's press conference made it quite clear that the group is completely shielded. This doesn't need to be another talking point; there's no use in dwelling on the same issue, especially since the criticism won't stop, even if we win the next game. The message we always want to convey is: of course, millions of people want Portugal to win, and many people don't. If you want to row with us, let's row, and the boat won't stop. I've been in football long enough to understand that criticism is part of the process. The message is clear: the group is in good spirits, strong, cohesive. We know what we need to do to win the next game, but we also know there are many who don't want us to.

— Diogo Dalot is one of Ronaldo's closest teammates. Does he feel marginalized within the group? And how does he view the team dynamic?

— Everyone knows Cristiano's ability to handle criticism; he's been playing for the national team for over 20 years. I believe what he brings to the group, he's conveyed to us that this criticism is part of it, and being in the biggest competition of all, criticism is always present. The confidence he instills in us, and we in him, has always been and will remain the same as long as he represents the national team.