Cristiano Ronaldo was desperate to hit the ground running in Portugal’s World Cup opener against DR Congo. After all, his longtime rival Lionel Messi just scored a hat-trick against Algeria, equalling the record for the most goals in World Cup history (16).
The stage was set for the Portuguese talisman in Houston, but the 41-year-old struggled to make an impact on the pitch.
After the final whistle was blown, Thierry Henry and Zlatan Ibrahimović didn’t mince their words while sharing their assessment of Ronaldo’s performance. They even questioned his decision-making, claiming that international football’s record goalscorer could be more of a team player.
Cristiano Ronaldo Fails To Prove His Doubters Wrong
The odds were stacked against him. Going into the World Cup, Ronaldo’s recent record on the big stage didn’t give fans much room for optimism. He has scored just one goal (a penalty against Ghana) in 10 appearances across the 2022 World Cup and Euro 2024.
While his fans hoped that the veteran would rekindle his form ahead of the fixture against Congo, his minimal impact quickly extinguished those hopes.
Sharing his thoughts on FOX Sports, Ibrahimović reflected on a particular opportunity for Ronaldo, where he failed to hit the target in the second half. He said, “Normally, as a striker, you go from the first post to the second post to bring the defender with you to open the space for the guy behind. So, obviously, you made the wrong choice here, Cristiano.”
Thierry Henry: ‘One thing that’s important is that the team needs to score; not you need to score.”pic.twitter.com/pkTlY7R0bE https://t.co/5BNlvl0k9K
— Robin Bairner (@RBairner) June 17, 2026
DR Congo was notoriously difficult to break down, despite Portugal having a star-studded midfield. However, Roberto Martinez’s team did get a golden opportunity when Francisco Conceição received the ball on the right side and squared it to Ronaldo, who failed to make clean contact with the ball.
Bruno Fernandes, who was right behind the Portuguese captain, was seen complaining, seemingly stating that he was in a better position to score. That sentiment was echoed by Henry.
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Urging the five-time Ballon d’Or winner to be more unselfish, Henry said, “One thing that is important: The team needs to score, not you. Cristiano Ronaldo has been in that situation multiple times. If you make that run here, you make the defender make a decision to crash the six-yard box. But because he wants to score, he goes into Bruno Fernandes’ path.”
For most of the match, Ronaldo acted as a conduit for his younger teammates, allowing Portugal to play it wide behind DR Congo’s high line and occasionally dropping deep to link play. However, the team looking toothless is not down to Ronaldo alone.
Despite having 75% possession, they had only one shot on target (which resulted in a goal), and their lack of creativity in the final third will be a big concern going forward.
Ultimately, while Ronaldo will be on the receiving end of criticism, Martinez will want his team to take a long, hard look in the mirror. Their next fixture is against Uzbekistan at Houston Stadium, one they will need to win to keep their World Cup hopes alive.
