Cristiano Ronaldo debate intensifies after Portugal stumble in World Cup 2026 opener - 'He's not the same as before'
Published 18/06/2026 at 12:36 GMT+1
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After Lionel Messi's hat-trick for Argentina, Kylian Mbappe's brace for France, and Erling Haaland's double for Norway, all eyes were on Cristiano Ronaldo's first appearance at the 2026 World Cup on Wednesday.
'Need goals? You need Ronaldo' - Martinez defends Portugal legend
Video credit: SNTV
But the Portugal legend flattered to deceive as his country laboured to a 1-1 draw against a resolute DR Congo side.
Despite his struggles, Ronaldo, now 41, remained on the pitch for the full 90 minutes, prompting plenty of criticism of both his performance and manager Roberto Martinez's reluctance to sacrifice the nation's record goalscorer.
Ronaldo was unable to influence the game, a static central figure as Portugal moved the ball repeatedly into wide areas without any incision.
Still, Martinez defended the Al-Nassr star, insisting that taking him off would have been illogical.
"It makes no sense to get the best goalscorer in world football out in a game that you need goals," he said.
But the numbers increasingly paint a different picture: Ronaldo has not scored in his last 10 appearances at major tournaments, taking 33 shots in that period.
His last non-penalty goal at a major tournament was in a 4-2 group-stage defeat to Germany at Euro 2020.
Ronaldo managed three shots against DR Congo, none of which hit the target, and he cut an increasingly exasperated figure.
With group games against Uzbekistan and Colombia to come, the former Real Madrid and Manchester United great will hope the goals begin to flow again.
But has the passage of time hindered his ability to influence games on the biggest stage?
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'He's not the same as before'
DR Congo's players were certainly not overawed by Ronaldo's presence, restricting the Portugal forward to almost nothing in an impressive defensive display.
And midfielder Ngal'ayel Mukau suggested Ronaldo was now a less formidable force.
Asked if DR Congo had worked on a plan to contain Ronaldo, Mukau told TNT Sports Brazil: "To be honest, not really, because we know he isn't the same as before.
"He's a bit older now, but still he is one of the greatest ever to play the game. So much respect to him.
"When you get old like that it's not the same, not the same effort you can make. But I have so much respect for him."
Former Arsenal and France great Thierry Henry, meanwhile, questioned Ronaldo's primary motivation, pointing out an incident in the second half of the match.
A cut back into the box looked to be heading into the path of Bruno Fernandes, who was primed to shoot. Instead, Ronaldo awkwardly stepped towards the ball and skewed a shot wide from a difficult angle.
"One thing that’s important: the team needs to score, not you need to score," Henry said on Fox Sports.
"Cristiano Ronaldo has been in this situation multiple times. If you make that run here, you make the defender take a decision to go to the six-yard box. But because he wants to score, he goes into the path of Bruno Fernandes.
"If he goes into the six-yard box, the defender would have had to follow him, a tap-in for Bruno Fernandes. But because he wants to score, he goes into the path of the back pass – you see both players and it’s easier for you to defend.
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'I think that he's also anxious' - Bruno on Ronaldo ahead of Portugal opener
Video credit: SNTV
"That’s my thing: the team needs to score, not you. The reaction of Bruno Fernandes behind… let it roll. 'Make a run, create space, so I can tap it in…' It didn’t happen."
Ronaldo, it seems, is no longer the invulnerable powerhouse he once was.
Can he use the widespread criticism that followed the DR Congo draw as fuel to fire Portugal - and, of course, himself - to World Cup glory? That remains to be seen.
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