Reuters/Marco Bello
The 2026 FIFA World Cup got off to a tough start for traditional powerhouse Portugal, as it was held to a surprising 1-1 draw with Group K opponent, the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Even more surprising was the brutal play of superstar Cristiano Ronaldo. The 41-year-old, who is appearing in a joint-record sixth World Cup, tied with fellow superstar Lionel Messi, had zero goals, assists, shots, shots on target, chances created, big chances created, successful take-ons, fouls won, or duels won in the opening half.
Afterward, former France legend Thierry Henry called out Ronaldo both for his poor play and his attitude.
“The team needs to score. Not you need to score,” Henry said on Fox.
However, Portugal’s manager, Roberto Martinez, isn’t ready to give up on Ronaldo, who hasn’t scored a non-penalty goal in a major competition, quite yet.
Portugal Will Continue To Live And Die With Cristiano Ronaldo
“It makes no sense to get the best goal scorer in world football out in a game that you need goals,” Martinez told reporters after the match.
Instead of Ronaldo, Martinez pointed to the sixth-minute goal by Joao Neves as the reason the Portuguese team looked sluggish.
“We started very, very well,” he said, “…Our level, our control, the way we got into the penalty area. Scoring the goal — which is normally a moment when the emotion of scoring helps you keep control of the match and try to score a second goal — had the opposite effect.
“Instead, it made us want to keep possession of the ball. We gave Congo the opportunity to reorganize their defensive structure and set up their counterattacks, and we lost a lot of depth. That helped Congo.”
While it is true that Portugal appeared to take its foot off the gas after the early goal, the contention about Ronaldo stands out. The reality is that he’s no longer the best goal scorer in the world. In fact, he’s not even among the best goal scorers in the world anymore, and hasn’t been for some time.
If Martinez and Portugal insist on hitching their 2026 World Cup hopes to Ronaldo, it may well be a short tournament for the Iberian side.