The girlfriend of Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal team-mate Joao Neves received a wave of insults on her Instagram on Friday after suspected fake posts angered fans of the superstar.
Under a photograph of her partner that actress Madalena Aragão had posted, there was an apparent comment disparaging Neves and a reply which looked like it had come from Aragão, suggesting Ronaldo should retire.
Since then, the 20-year-old has received a stream of insults by Ronaldo supporters. But there is now increasing suspicion that the comment and reply were faked.
Portugal drew 0-0 with the Democratic Republic of the Congo on Wednesday in their World Cup opener and Ronaldo was a peripheral figure. France 1998 winner Thierry Henry even told Fox that the 41-year-old had got in the way.
Neves himself received verbal abuse on socials this week after saying of Ronaldo: "He and we know that he is no different. He is just another player here to help. He is no different from the others."
Portugal defender Ruben Dias has played down heavy criticism of Ronaldo and his team's laboured World Cup start, saying it was "just media noise" and little else.
"Cristiano gets a lot of attention and is always in the spotlight. That has been the case since I have been in the national team and it will be the case in the future," he told a news conference on Friday at the team's Florida base.
"But every one of us - including Cristiano - is used to dealing with this media pressure. We know it from our clubs, from the national team, from World Cups and from European competitions."
The first press conference since their opening draw became almost monothematic as Champions League winner, Club World Cup winner and 76-time international Dias was asked almost exclusively about Ronaldo.
"You disappoint me. I thought you were going to ask me something about the beach," he joked to one of the reporters.
Portugal's players have been lampooned on social media for going too often to the beach or the hotel pool at their base. There have also been unconfirmed reports that some players are scared of leaving the hotel because of nearby alligators.
This "unnecessary agitation" and false information is not helping, the centre back said, but he still believes the team's "shared dream" of winning a first World Cup title.
"No one can expect a tournament like this to run perfectly from the start. I think the sooner the difficult phases come, the better," he added.
Portugal next meet Uzbekistan on Tuesday in their second Group K game.
