Ranking points to the Portuguese leading the "retreat" in the World Cup; understand

Amidst many controversies involving the Portugal team, due to the performance that has not pleased the fans. Portugal appears in a ranking that measures the amount of retreat players make during 2026 World Cup matches.

The Portuguese team has an average of 43.3 ball saves for defense in this World Cup, an attitude considered "cowardly" among Portuguese fans, who complain a lot about the team's attitude in matches.

The players who return the most balls in Portugal are: João Neves, João Cancelo and Pedro Neto.

Occupying first place is João Neves, 21 years old, with 24 passes to the defense.

Soon after, João Cancelo, FC Barcelona full-back, with 23 passes.

And third place is occupied by Pedro Neto, Chealsea striker, with 22 passes.

João Neves, PSG player - Disclosure/joao_neves87
The Portugal team has been heavily criticized by major media outlets, after players spoke about the importance of their stars. The most criticized is from João Neves himself who in an interview said: "We all know what Cristiano Ronaldo did for us, for the Portuguese team and for the world of football, but at this moment he knows, just like we do, that he is no different from the others. He is another player on the team who helps the group, exactly like all the other players do. He is here to contribute and support the team, just like everyone else."

After this statement, Cristiano Ronaldo just posted a photo on his social networks with the cast and the caption "Always united!".

Portugal returns to the pitch on Thursday (02) at 8pm (Brasília time) to face Croatia for a place in the round of 16 of the World Cup.

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Source: CNN