Cristiano Ronaldo is just an ordinary player! Portugal's €140 million prodigy sparks outrage with interview, faces online abuse, and his girlfriend gets caught in the crossfire.

After Portugal's surprising 1-1 draw with DR Congo in the opening round of the World Cup, numerous Portuguese players were heavily criticized by fans. On June 19, Beijing time, Portuguese international João Neves drew the ire of Cristiano Ronaldo's supporters due to an interview, with many accusing him of "not respecting a legend."

In the match against DR Congo, João Neves, who scored Portugal's goal, was awarded the official man of the match. After the game, he was asked about topics related to Cristiano Ronaldo during the interview.

The €140 million talented midfielder then stated bluntly: "I know what he has contributed to this national team and the entire football world, but now he is one of us, no different from anyone else. He came here to help the team just like the rest of us, and he is contributing to the team like everyone else!"

These words originally seemed normal, but the phrase "Ronaldo is not special" undoubtedly sparked anger among many of Ronaldo's fans. Unsurprisingly, João Neves' social media comment sections were flooded with attacks from Ronaldo supporters. Many fans criticized Neves for disrespecting Ronaldo, arguing that Ronaldo is a legend, not an ordinary player, and that it is because of Ronaldo that Portugal has become a football powerhouse.

Some fans even angrily called João Neves a "dwarf." His girlfriend was also dragged into the controversy, with comments like: "Teach your boyfriend to respect the captain who put our country on the world map." and "Tell your boyfriend to respect the GOAT!"

Not only fans but also Manchester United legend and former captain Roy Keane came to Ronaldo's defense, blasting João Neves: "I'm fed up with this nonsense. Ronaldo is an ordinary player? That's pure rubbish. Absolute rubbish. That's one of the most absurd things I've ever heard in football."

"If Ronaldo is ordinary, then what are others? What achievements do they have? How many Ballon d'Ors? How many Champions League titles? How many records broken? How many times have they carried their country on the biggest stage? Young players should be careful when talking about legends."

"The player who says such things is the one who is ordinary compared to Ronaldo's career. That's not an insult; it's reality. Compared to Ronaldo's achievements, most players in football history are ordinary. You don't have to worship him, and you can criticize his performance, but don't rewrite history."