Joao Neves takes home FIFA Man of the Match for Portugal vs. the Democratic Republic of the Congo after his dazzling World Cup performance and is compared to Cristiano Ronaldo.
On Wednesday, Portugal faced the Democratic Republic of the Congo (1-1), a match in which the country in southwestern Europe disappointed its fans, except for Paris Saint-Germain central midfielder Joao Neves.
Neves, 21, had the opportunity to score the first goal of the match in his World Cup debut, and it was also his first in the competition.
Neves' skills are nothing new; in fact, since he arrived at the Parisian club in 2024, the young star has stood out for his incredible precision and tactical intelligence.
The way he knows how to relate to and connect with teammates has served him well on multiple occasions, earning him the best player of the match award, which he received again in the match he played with the Portugal national team.
Although Neves is not a very imposing player, his ability to escape tight spaces and control the ball under pressure makes him a key piece in midfield.
His skill never goes unnoticed, especially in a match that highlighted him after his other teammates' poor performance. He not only scored the goal but also made a key pass, while also defending and attacking the opponent's area.
According to A Bola, in words collected by Culture PSG, Neves was almost on par with the legend Cristiano Ronaldo, as he was the only truly effective player in the match.
He seemed like a center forward, a giant, like Cristiano Ronaldo. A kind of 'admirable snowman,' the only one who had a real impact on a very insipid performance by Portugal.
The young Portuguese was named the FIFA Man of the Match for Portugal-DR Congo.
The Portuguese press did not hold back when attacking their country's national team after the poor performance in the match.
Concerned about what will happen in the upcoming matches, many questioned the dubious performances of more experienced players, such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Nuno Mendes, and even Vitinha, who was criticized for lacking the same ease or security in play as he does at PSG.
And despite being the one who stood out the most and took the spotlight, Neves now faces a campaign of hatred on social media after his post-match statement about Ronaldo.
He and we know that he is no different. He is just another player here to help, no different from the others. He is here to contribute just like all of us.
Clearly, Neves did not intend to insult the great legend; everyone knows how much Cristiano Ronaldo has contributed to both the Portuguese national team and the world, so the fans are simply misinterpreting the young player's words of frustration at not having performed as they should as a team.
But for now, Joao Neves and the national team must recover their strength and train very hard to face Uzbekistan on June 23.
