Former England striker Wayne Rooney has suggested Portugal players don't enjoy playing alongside Cristiano Ronaldo in the way Argentina players do with Lionel Messi.
Portugal were knocked out of the World Cup on Monday following a 1-0 defeat to Spain in the round of 16.
Their early exit only furthered the scrutiny around Ronaldo's performances at the tournament, with the 41-year-old forward again looking off the pace up front against the European champions.
Despite managing just 19 touches and three shots, he played the entire 90 minutes in Dallas. Gonçalo Ramos, who scored the winner in the round of 32 against Croatia, didn't make it off the bench.
Ronaldo, who confirmed that this would be his last World Cup, finished the tournament with three goals. Two of those came against Uzbekistan and the third was a penalty against Croatia.
His travails are a sharp contrast to his long-standing rival Messi, who has already scored seven goals in Argentina's defence of their crown.
"You always put Ronaldo and Messi together because they are two of the best players the game has ever seen," Rooney said on BBC.
"But the Argentinian lads seem like they're all there for Messi. They're all behind him. Messi has obviously been fantastic at this World Cup. I don't get that vibe from the Portuguese players."
The disappointment around Portugal's performance is exacerbated by the fact that they entered the tournament with one of their strongest squads in years. Nuno Mendes, João Neves and Vitinha were central cogs in Paris Saint-Germain's Champions League triumph last season while Bruno Fernandes was named the Premier League Player of the Season.
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"I'm sad to leave the World Cup this way," Ronaldo said post-match. "As I said yesterday, I gave it my all, and I leave with a clear conscience. That's the life of a footballer. You have to move forward.
"It was my last World Cup, yes. But as for the rest, there's time to think, to be with my family, and not say things in the heat of the moment.
Portugal manager Roberto Martinez also confirmed that he will be stepping down from his post.
