'The team needs to score, not you' — Henry's scathing Ronaldo verdict after Portugal's World Cup draw with DR Congo

Cristiano Ronaldo became lone the 3rd subordinate successful past to look astatine six World Cups connected Wednesday, joining Lionel Messi and Guillermo Ochoa successful that exclusive bracket, but his milestone quality ended successful vexation arsenic Portugal were held to a 1-1 gully by DR Congo successful Houston — and France fable Thierry Henry was watching.

Joao Neves gave Portugal the pb with a header earlier Yoane Wissa equalised for DR Congo conscionable earlier the break, handing the Congolese their first-ever constituent successful World Cup history.

The 41-year-old Al Nassr striker, chasing his 1,000th vocation goal, was incapable to adhd to his tally and drew crisp disapproval for the mode successful which helium went astir his business.

Henry and Ibrahimovic present their verdict

Speaking alongside chap pundit Zlatan Ibrahimovic on FOX's post-match analysis, Henry wasted nary clip successful making his feelings clear.

'One happening that is important people, please, astatine home: The squad needs to score, not you request to score,' Henry said, earlier walking done a cardinal second-half incidental successful which Francisco Conceicao received the shot adjacent the country connected the close flank and chopped it backmost towards the centre. The earthy question for Ronaldo would person been to onslaught the adjacent post, drafting his marker and freeing Bruno Fernandes to sprout from the centre of the area. Instead, the other happened.

'If you marque that tally here, you marque the defender marque a determination to clang the six-yard box. But due to the fact that helium wants to score, helium goes into the way of Bruno Fernandes,' Henry explained. 'That is my thing: The squad needs to score, not you.'

Ibrahimovic reinforced the point: 'Normally, arsenic a striker, you spell from archetypal station to 2nd station to bring the defender with you to unfastened the abstraction for the feline behind. So, evidently you made the incorrect prime here, Cristiano.'

Henry did not reserve each of his disapproval for Ronaldo, however, suggesting that the wider Portugal squad besides carnivore work for failing to make amended opportunities for their captain.

'If you play with Cristiano Ronaldo, the different guys request to bash a tiny spot much successful presumption of moving successful down and trying to assistance him due to the fact that we cognize what helium is close now,' Henry said. 'He is not going to tally into the channel. He is not going to agelong a team. You request to provender him successful the container successful bid for him to people goals. If you privation him to score, you person to provender him.'

Ronaldo's Portugal struggles laid bare

Portugal lined up successful a 4-2-3-1 with Ronaldo arsenic the cardinal striker, supported down him by Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva and Pedro Neto.

Rafael Leao, Francisco Conceicao and Goncalo Ramos were each introduced from the bench, with Ramos a notable fig fixed that helium famously displaced Ronaldo for the last-16 necktie against Switzerland astatine the 2022 World Cup successful Qatar, scoring a hat-trick successful a 6-1 triumph — and yet helium remains the understudy heading into 2026.

The statistic made for uncomfortable reading. Ronaldo registered 3 shots crossed the evening, each successful the 2nd half, with a combined expected goals fig of conscionable 0.46.

Not 1 of them deed the target. He touched the shot connected lone 25 occasions, made conscionable six carries and drove guardant with the shot lone erstwhile passim the full contest.

His struggles for Portugal are not a caller development. After scoring doubly against Hungary successful October of past year, Ronaldo has not recovered the nett for the nationalist side.

He was sent disconnected against Ireland successful the precise adjacent match, missed the March planetary model entirely, and had small interaction successful pre-tournament friendlies against Chile and Nigeria.

Portugal instrumentality to enactment against Uzbekistan connected Tuesday June 23, earlier concluding their Group K run against Colombia successful the aboriginal hours of Saturday June 28.