Full-back João Cancelo spoke about the current phase of the Portugal team in the World Cup, which is facing criticism and divisions around Cristiano Ronaldo. The defender made a notable comparison between the position of the Portuguese historic top scorer and that of Brazilian striker Neymar, both targets of constant scrutiny.
In a pre-game press conference against Uzbekistan, Cancelo highlighted that “both Neymar and Cristiano don’t need to prove anything to anyone”. He emphasized that both are athletes of immense talent, and their achievements in football speak for themselves, aware of their importance for their nations.
At 32 years old and participating in his second World Cup, João Cancelo positions himself as one of the most experienced athletes on the team. He considered certain criticisms as “unfair” and called for unity to prevail among Portuguese players during the world tournament.
The player confessed that, “five years ago, I cared more” about the disputes, recognizing that many of them are unfounded. Cancelo mentioned the unsatisfactory performance in the opening match, which was seen as an almost guaranteed victory, and defended the need to “abstract this criticism because it is not beneficial for our group”.
Reiterating his support, the full-back stated that “this group is fantastic and we are pulling in the same direction”, making a direct request to the fans: “I ask you to be on our side”.
Broadcast details of the clash between Portugal and Uzbekistan
The match between Portugal and Uzbekistan will be shown this Tuesday (23), starting at 2 pm, Brasília time. Those interested will be able to watch the confrontation live on CazéTV, which offers free access for subscribers to the Disney+ platform.