What went wrong for Cristiano Ronaldo in his first match at the 2026 World Cup? | World Cup 2026 news

“This is not over yet.”

These are the words of Cristiano Ronaldo after Portugal The Congo national team tied 1-1 In their opening match of Group K at… World Cup 2026.

One might assume he means Portugal’s hopes of qualifying for the knockout stages, but could that also apply to his international career?

Ronaldo was overshadowed by Messi, Mbappe, Haaland and Kane

On a historic day, in what is shaping up to be a historic World Cup, the 41-year-old became the oldest player to start a World Cup match – although Cameroon legend Roger Milla remains the oldest player to appear in a World Cup match, having come on as a substitute aged 42 during the 1994 World Cup, in which he also scored.

Ronaldo also joins old rival and Argentina captain Lionel Messi as the only players to have played in six World Cup finals.

Messi’s hat-trick in the win over Algeria less than 24 hours ago He equaled Ronaldo’s record of scoring goals in five World Cup finals and equaled the title of the all-time World Cup top scorer, and with Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland and Harry Kane After scoring twice in wins over France, Norway and England, all eyes were on another global icon, Portugal’s No. 7 in Houston.

However, Ronaldo endured an afternoon of frustration driving down the line as Portugal dominated possession but were unable to get the better of some disciplined DR Congo defences.

He did not look like a natural striker and only took 25 touches, the fewest of any Portugal starter, and 10 fewer than Yoan Wissa, who played up front and scored the equalizer for the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In comparison, Portuguese substitute Rafael Leao touched 14 balls after coming on as a substitute in the 72nd minute.

This was Ronaldo’s second-fewest touch ever in 23 World Cup matches, and 17 of his 22 attempted passes went backwards.

He struggled to find space in a disciplined Congolese defense and had three shots, all wide, and wasted two chances from close range with what would have been the winning goal in the second half, to extend the lead. The poor level he showed in Portugal’s last friendly match against Nigeria On June 10th.

Ronaldo could still make history and score in a sixth World Cup final if he can find the back of the net in any of the remaining group matches against Uzbekistan on Tuesday (17:00 GMT) and Colombia the following Saturday night (23:30 GMT) or in the knockout stages.

If he does the latter, it will be for the first time. His eight World Cup goals all came in group matches. He was excluded during the victory over Switzerland in the round of 16 in Qatar 2022, which is the first match in which he did not start in a major tournament in 14 years, and interestingly, it was the match in which his team won 6-1.

Ronaldo scored 143 goals in 229 matches – a world record for both men – but his only goal in the last World Cup came from the penalty spot, in the opening match against Ghana. He went scoreless at Euro 2024 and has now gone 10 matches without scoring in a major tournament.

He was 36 years old when he last scored from open play in a major tournament, against Germany at Euro 2020.

“It makes no sense to replace Ronaldo.”

Portugal coach Roberto Martinez did not criticize Ronaldo in his post-match media conference, saying: “We have to take advantage of all the players on the field.” The main striker [Ronaldo] We have to be close to the six-yard box and we have to get the ball [to him]”.

In response to a question about why Ronaldo was not replaced after an ineffective performance, Martinez said: “It does not make sense to remove the best scorer in world football in a match that needs goals.”

“For us in moments like these, Cristiano’s experience in the penalty area is important. The way he attracts defenders is important, the way we can use space is important.

“And every player has a responsibility on the pitch. It is clear that when you are looking for goals, you need Cristiano.”

“Portugal is a better team without him.”

At one point in the second half, Ronaldo broke out running into the six-yard box, then moved away from his marker to meet a rebound from Francisco Conceicao nine yards out, ending the sequence when his shot deflected wide of the near post.

Just behind him, Bruno Fernandes, for whom the pass appeared to have been intended, remained with his head in his hands as Ronaldo scowled.

Speaking on Fox in the USA, Thierry Henry, a former World Cup winner with France, said: “The only important thing is that the team needs to score, and you don’t need to score.

“But because [Ronaldo] He wants to score, he goes the way of Fernandes. If he gets into the six-yard box, [the defender] He should have followed and then it could have been a pass to Fernandes.

Henry added: “But because he wants to score, he goes to the passing route. You see both players, and it is easier for you to defend.”

“Can I be honest? Ronaldo, if he was a real team player, he would step aside and let the younger players flow in. Because Portugal is a better team without him,” said former Ghana midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng, speaking on SBS Sport in Australia.

He added: “If Portugal wants to have a chance to go far, I think Ronaldo should step aside and allow others to play and participate in the last 15 to 20 minutes.”