Portugal got off to a sluggish start in Group K as Joao Neves’ early goal for Roberto Martinez’s side was cancelled out by Yoane Wissa.
Ronaldo attracted a significant amount of criticism for his subdued display and Martinez is now facing calls to drop the 41-year-old.
However, Ronaldo’s sister, Katia Aveiro, is adamant that her brother is not solely to blame for Portugal’s failings as she criticised the team.
Aveiro wrote in a post on Instagram, “They magically forgot how to pass, how to win the ball, how to counter-attack. The game became all about passing backwards in midfield. This World Cup is strange. Strange. But let’s go, wrong starts, right finishes. Until the end.”
In a follow up video, Aveiro said, “As a supporter of my country, I was disappointed. We didn’t play well, nobody played well. We started the game well, but that was just the beginning. But as I’ve always heard, bad starts often lead to good ends, so let’s think positively.”
Portugal will play next group game against Uzbekistan on Tuesday, June 23.
