Cristiano Ronaldo’s dismal display in Portugal’s shock 1-1 draw against DR Congo at the 2026 World Cup has drawn fierce criticism from football pundits around the globe.
The 41-year-old made history at NRG Stadium in Houston on Wednesday, becoming the oldest outfield player to ever start a World Cup match at 41 years and 132 days. But any celebratory mood was quickly overshadowed by a toothless performance that left Portugal frustrated and fans and pundits fuming.
French legend and world cup winner Thierry Henry was the least impressed in his post-match analysis on Fox News, accusing Ronaldo of putting personal glory ahead of his team’s collective benefit.
The former Arsenal and France striker pinpointed a specific second-half sequence involving Joao Cancelo and Bruno Fernandes to make his case. “One thing that’s important, the team needs to score, not you need to score,” Henry said bluntly.
Henry argued that Ronaldo’s movement in the final third actively crowded out his own teammates. “Cristiano Ronaldo has been in this situation multiple times. If you make that run here, you make the defender take a decision to crash the six-yard box,” he explained. “But because he wants to score, he goes into the path of Bruno Fernandes. If he goes into that six-yard box, you would have had to follow him, and then he would have been 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.”
The numbers told their own story. Ronaldo finished the match without a single shot on target — only the sixth time that has happened across his entire World Cup career. His scoreless run in the tournament has now stretched to five matches, as he chases the historic milestone of becoming the first player to score in six different World Cups.
Former Ghana international and now a TV pundit Kevin Prince-Boateng, feels it’s high time for Ronaldo to step aside from his national duties.
“If Ronaldo wants to be a team player, he should step down and allow the young players play, the team is better without him. There is so much pressure when he is in the middle because they all want to play the ball to him,” Boateng told Australian TV channel SBS after the match.
Ronaldo also has failed to score in his last 10 matches for Portugal at major tournaments, spanning the 2022 FIFA World Cup games against Uruguay, South Korea, Switzerland, and Morocco, and the 2024 Euros games against Czechia, Türkiye, Georgia, Slovenia, and France. This marks the longest goal drought of his international career, with 33 shots taken but none resulting in goals.
Commentating for BBC Radio 5 Live, former England international Chris Sutton was equally damning — and directed much of his frustration at Martinez for his reluctance to substitute Ronaldo.
When Goncalo Ramos replaced midfielder Vitinha in the 83rd minute rather than Ronaldo, Sutton didn’t hold back. “That’s embarrassing from Martinez. It might work but are we all watching a different game?” he said. “He’s scared to take him off. He’s not the manager. He may end up scoring the winner but the game has passed him by today.”
Portugal’s coach Roberto Martinez, however, refused to entertain any suggestion that Ronaldo should have been hauled off. When asked directly whether he considered substituting his captain, Martinez was defiant.
“It makes no sense to get the best world scorer to be out when you need goals,” he said after the match. “The experience of Cristiano in the box is important. The way that he attracts defenders is important.”
Martinez’s loyalty to Ronaldo is not without broader context. The Al-Nassr striker carries 143 international goals and 229 caps into this tournament. He also shares with Lionel Messi the distinction of appearing in six World Cups — a record that underlines the extraordinary length of his international career.
Before kick-off, former England captain Wayne Rooney had predicted Ronaldo would be “raging — but in a good way” at the performances of other tournament stars. “He wants to be the best,” Rooney said. “He’ll want to go out there and score two or three tonight to show he’s still at that level.”
Instead, Ronaldo cut a frustrated figure throughout. The draw leaves Portugal with work to do in Group K, and the debate around their captain is only growing louder.
