Texas [US], June 20 (ANI): Portugal defender Ruben Dias has downplayed recent criticism directed at skipper Cristiano Ronaldo, describing the surrounding talk as 'noise' and simply part of football.

Ronaldo endured a difficult outing in Portugal's 1-1 draw against DR Congo in their FIFA World Cup 2026 opener, with the veteran striker struggling to make an impact throughout the contest.

The 41-year-old finished the match with 25 touches, attempting three shots without hitting the target, and winning just one duel, underlining how effectively he was contained by the DR Congo defence.

It was also one of the lowest involvement games of his World Cup career, marking the second-fewest touches he has ever recorded in a World Cup start, highlighting his limited influence in Portugal's attacking play.

The frustration adds to a growing concern over his form in major tournaments, as Ronaldo has now gone 10 consecutive matches without scoring in major competitions, an unwanted streak that continues despite his experience and status on the global stage.

Speaking after recent external chatter around the veteran forward, Dias said the team remains unaffected and focused on its objectives.

'It's not an issue for us,' Dias insisted as quoted by One Football. 'It's insignificant, just a bit of fuss and noise. It's all part of the game.'

'First and foremost, the criticism isn't directed at just one player. Cristiano is a major focus of attention, but I think we're all in the firing line. Above all, apart from what I've just said, I don't think anything out of the ordinary is happening. It's always been like this since I've been here. I believe it will continue to be so in the future. In the end, it's noise. We isolate ourselves from it and focus on doing our thing,' he added.

Meanwhile, Thierry Henry delivered a blunt assessment of Cristiano Ronaldo's performance as Portugal endured a frustrating start to their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign. Henry suggested that Ronaldo's pursuit of personal success may have denied his side a crucial goal, as per Goal.com on Thursday.

Speaking on Fox News, according to Goal.com, the former Arsenal striker stressed that the focus should be on the team scoring rather than individual goals, saying, 'One thing that's important, people, please at home: the team needs to score, not you need to score,' as quoted by Goal.com.

Henry used a specific phase in the match to explain his point, suggesting that Ronaldo's positioning may have limited space for his teammates. He said that when Cancelo had the ball, Ronaldo could have made a run that forces defenders to make a decision and move towards the six-yard box, potentially opening up space and creating a better scoring chance for the team.

'So, obviously, we're going to see here Portugal being on the ball, Cancelo is going to receive the ball. Cristiano Ronaldo has been in this situation multiple times. If you make that run here, you - you make the defender take a decision to crash the six-yard box,' Henry said.

'But because he wants to score, he goes into the path of Bruno Fernandes. If he goes into that six-yard box, you've been in that situation, I'll see - you would have had to follow him, follow him, and then he would have been a tap-in for Bruno Fernandes. But because he wants to score, he goes into the path of the back pass. You see both players, and it's easier for you to defend,' Henry said. (ANI)