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Following Portugal's 1-1 draw against DR Congo in their opening match of the 2026 World Cup, Katia Aveiro stated that the entire squad, including her brother Cristiano Ronaldo, underperformed.
"They magically forgot how to pass the ball, how to win the ball, how to counter-attack," she wrote on Instagram. "This World Cup is strange. But as I’ve always heard: ‘Bad beginnings, good endings’."
She later posted a video to clarify her stance.
"Let’s think positively, only those who are there make mistakes. They made mistakes, they weren’t the team we expected – nobody played well in my humble opinion."
At NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, Portugal enjoyed a dream start, opening the scoring in the sixth minute with a header from Joao Neves. However, Roberto Martinez's side soon lost momentum, allowing DR Congo to grow into the game and secure an equalizer through Yoane Wissa at the first-half stoppage time.
In the second half, Martinez made four substitutions, bringing on Francisco Conceicao, Rafael Leao, Nelson Semedo and Goncalo Ramos, in an attempt to renew the attack. Despite the tactical shifts, Portugal failed to find the winning goal.
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Katia Aveiro and her brother Cristiano Ronaldo in April 2022. Photo by Instagram/@katiaaveirooficial |
Ronaldo, who started the match, struggled to make an impact. The 41-year-old forward touched the ball just 25 times, lost possession three times and failed to register a single shot on target, despite an expected goals (xG) rate of 0.46.
Katia said the draw did not leave her entirely disheartened, citing a beautiful moment during the match when fans paid tribute to the late forward Diogo Jota, whose parents were in attendance at the stadium.
"But am I sad? How can I be sad? I get sad when I see that image of Diogo Jota’s mother and father, that’s what sadness is. It would be selfish of me to feel sad because of the disappointment of our draw in the World Cup opener. Especially since I woke up happy today and this draw isn’t going to take away my happiness."
Katia has long been the most vocal member of her family when it comes to defending Ronaldo on social media. In August 2022, she publicly called Real Madrid president Florentino Perez an "old man" after he dismissed the idea of re-signing the Portuguese star, talkSPORT reported.
Later that year, after witnessing Argentina lift the 2022 World Cup trophy while Portugal exited in the quarter-finals, she declared it "the worst World Cup of all time."
She has not shied away from mocking Ronaldo's rivals, including Gerard Pique, Luka Modric, Virgil van Dijk and even his former club, Juventus.
Meanwhile, the President of the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF), Pedro Proenca, acknowledged the disappointing result but remained confident in the team's goals.
"The next challenge will take place next Tuesday against Uzbekistan, and our belief remains intact: we have everything to succeed and bring glory to Portugal," Proenca wrote on X.
The FPF president also expressed gratitude to fans worldwide for their continued support, particularly thanking those who attended the match in Houston.
