Portuguese International on Ronaldo: "He'll always be blamed for failure, and that still hurts him"

Danilo Pereira, a European champion with Portugal in 2016 and Nations League winner in 2019, recently sat down with Marca. In the interview, he discussed the national team's World Cup journey, the criticism they've faced, and the upcoming Round of 16 clash against Spain.

"It's normal that if there's a negative result, a draw, or a less-than-stellar performance, criticism will follow. That's standard for all clubs and national teams vying for a World Cup title. The players are well aware of this. They also possess a very strong mentality, and I don't believe it affects them at all. I think the Portuguese people's expectation is to be world champions, which is why such vehement criticism arises. However, I believe that as Portugal progresses and wins, the criticism will subside," the midfielder/defender stated, before addressing the match against Croatia.

For the former Portuguese international, Roberto Martínez's team managed to respond to Croatia's challenges and controlled the game, but he believes they could have approached it differently: "I think Portugal reacted well, but if they could act instead of react, it would always be more positive and they would always have greater control of the game."

Regarding the criticism surrounding the national team captain, he downplayed its impact: "Cristiano Ronaldo, being the biggest global star and with Portugal aiming for their first-ever World Cup title, will always be under the spotlight when things go wrong. He'll always be blamed for failure or something similar. I think it's something he knows how to handle well. It motivates him, although it still hurts him. I think it hurts him a bit because we're talking about the nation, but it's something he handles very well, he overcomes it and transforms criticism into motivation. Often, everything is a bit exaggerated, but we know the Portuguese people are very demanding, and there will always be this kind of criticism. Just as praise comes when we win, I don't think it's something that completely affects Cristiano Ronaldo."

Danilo also revealed the Spanish player who impresses him the most — "Aside from Lamine Yamal, who is an extraordinary and natural prodigy, it's Pedri" — and previewed the upcoming match, which "could be a World Cup final, an Iberian final between two very good teams with top-level players."

"I hope it's a great game and that Portugal wins. Without a doubt, the whole world will be waiting to watch this match. It's a game that will mobilize countless fans, and that's always good for football," he concluded.