Cristiano Ronaldo's quiet World Cup opener draws sharp criticism after Portugal held 1-1 by DR Congo
Cristiano Ronaldo played the full 90 minutes without a shot on target as Portugal were held to a 1-1 draw by DR Congo in their World Cup opener in Houston. Opponents and pundits questioned whether the 41-year-old still belongs in the starting lineup.
Match summary
Portugal took the lead through a João Neves header in the first half but were pegged back by Yoane Wissa's headed equaliser for DR Congo. The 1-1 draw at Houston's NRG Stadium leaves the Nations League champions with work to do in Group F, with matches against Uzbekistan and Colombia still to come.
Ronaldo's performance
Cristiano Ronaldo, at 41 years and 132 days the oldest player to start a World Cup match, failed to register a single shot on target, completed no successful dribbles and delivered no accurate crosses. He had two second-half chances from Francisco Conceição cutbacks but sent both wide of the near post. The second drew particular scrutiny because Bruno Fernandes was better placed behind him.
The team needs to score. You don't need to score.
Ronaldo has now gone 10 consecutive major tournament matches without a goal, a drought stretching back to a penalty against Ghana at the 2022 World Cup. Across those 10 games he has attempted 33 shots, only 11 of which were on target.
- Total shots
- 33 shots
- Shots on target
- 11 shots
Opponent and pundit reaction
DR Congo midfielder Ngal'ayel Mukau said his side had not prepared any special plan to stop the Portuguese captain.
Honestly, we didn't prepare a special plan, because we know he's not the same as before. He's a bit older now, but he remains one of the greatest ever. When you age like that, you can't make the same efforts, but I still have a lot of respect for him.
Former Spain goalkeeper Santi Canizares, speaking on El Partidazo de Cope, said it was painful to watch both Ronaldo and Croatia's Luka Modric struggle on the same day.
It saddens me greatly to see Luka Modric and Cristiano Ronaldo in these conditions. They are players I hold in high esteem and seeing them in the twilight of their careers seems ugly to me.
Ronaldo's response
After the match, Ronaldo posted a defiant message on social media.
It wasn't the start we wanted, but this is still far from over. Head up and focus on the next match.
What comes next
Portugal face Uzbekistan on Tuesday 23 June, where Ronaldo will have another chance to become the first player to score in six different World Cups. Head coach Roberto Martínez is under pressure to consider Gonçalo Ramos as an alternative in attack after a performance that left many Portuguese fans questioning whether their captain should remain an automatic starter.
