Cristiano Ronaldo breaks silence amid calls for Portugal to axe him from World Cup starting XI

Cristiano Ronaldo faced heavy criticism following his performance for Portugal against DR Congo (Picture: Getty)

Cristiano Ronaldo issued a defiant statement amid mounting calls for the Portugal captain to be axed from Roberto Martinez’s World Cup starting XI.

One of the pre-tournament favourites began their campaign with an underwhelming 1-1 draw against DR Congo.

An early Joao Neves header looked likely to put Martinez’s side on course for a routine win, but Portugal failed to build on that platform and were pegged back before half-time when Yo...