Portugal's national football squad is shutting out criticism following their lacklustre 1-1 draw against Democratic Republic of Congo in their World Cup opener. Defender Ruben Dias confirmed on Friday that the team, and particularly captain Cristiano Ronaldo, are dismissing the backlash as mere "noise".The draw proved frustrating for the European side, who managed only one shot on target despite completing 740 passes against a Congo team making their first World Cup appearance in 52 years. Ronaldo, 41, found himself at the centre of the storm, as his goal drought in major tournaments extended to 10 games, a run stretching back to the 2022 World Cup, despite his status as the all-time top scorer."The criticism is not significant for us, it's noise and part of the competition... it's all noise," Dias told reporters at Portugal's training camp. "It always happens if you have a match that doesn't go well. We're closing ourselves off from unnecessary criticism." Ronaldo struggled in Portugal’s match against DR Congo (Getty)The captain faced a particularly sharp critique from former France striker Thierry Henry, who suggested Ronaldo was prioritising personal glory over team success. "One thing that's important: the team needs to score, not you need to score," Henry stated in his analysis, adding that Ronaldo was impeding teammates in better scoring positions.However, Dias refused to single out Ronaldo, who is participating in his sixth World Cup. "Cristiano, of course, is used to dealing with the media pressure we usually face in the club, the national team, world tournaments, European competitions," Dias explained. He added a broader perspective on the tournament's demands: "In this sort of competition, it will never be perfect... this is a competition you can win only if you play well game after game."Dias, who was benched for the opening match while recovering from injury, declared himself fit and ready to play in Tuesday's second group fixture against Uzbekistan.Anticipating that Uzbekistan might employ a similar defensive five-at-the-back strategy as Congo, Dias drew on his club experience. "I come from playing most of my club matches against teams that use a back five, so I have a very clear idea about it," he said. "Respecting positional discipline becomes decisive in matches like these." He concluded with confidence in his teammates: "I believe we have players with enough quality that, by respecting our positions and making the right decisions, we can make the difference."