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Criticism continues to pour down on the Portuguese National Team following their draw with DR Congo in the opening match of the 2026 World Cup. Cristiano Ronaldo has been a primary target, as has Bernardo Silva, who was substituted at halftime. However, Bruno Fernandes' performance also drew negative remarks, even from Kátia Aveiro.
CR7's sister 'liked' an Instagram post from a Brazilian page that accused Bruno of 'pipocando' for the national team. This popular Brazilian football slang term describes a player who excels in one context (usually their club) but then 'hides' or underperforms in another (in this case, the national team).
"He's Portugal's Raphinha: 'pipoca' too much for the National Team," read the post from the 'Na Canela' page, alongside a photo of Bruno in the Portuguese jersey.
Kátia Aveiro's endorsement of the post even garnered recognition from the page itself. "The repercussion went far! After the post where I criticized Bruno Fernandes and called him a 'pipoqueiro,' the publication reached Cristiano Ronaldo's family. The Portuguese star's sister liked the post," the page later wrote.
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