What went wrong for Cristiano Ronaldo in his first World Cup 2026 match?

“This is acold from over.”

These are the words of Cristiano Ronaldo aft Portugal were held to a 1-1 gully by DR Congo successful their opening Group K crippled astatine the World Cup 2026.

One presumes helium means Portugal’s hopes of qualifying for the knockout stages, but could it besides beryllium applied to his ain planetary career?

Ronaldo overshadowed by Messi, Mbappe, Haaland and Kane

On a historical day, successful what is turning into a historical World Cup, the 41-year-old became the oldest outfield subordinate to commencement a World Cup lucifer – though Cameroon large Roger Milla remains the oldest outfield subordinate to look successful a World Cup match, coming connected arsenic a substitute aged 42 during the 1994 World Cup, successful which helium besides scored.

Ronaldo besides joined longtime rival and Argentina skipper Lionel Messi arsenic the lone players to play successful six World Cups.

Messi’s hat-trick successful the triumph implicit Algeria little than 24 hours earlier saw him adjacent Ronaldo’s grounds of scoring successful 5 World Cups and gully level arsenic the World Cup’s all-time starring scorer and, with Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland and Harry Kane scoring doubly successful wins for France, Norway and England, each eyes were connected different planetary icon, Portugal’s No 7 successful Houston.

However, Ronaldo endured an day of vexation starring the enactment arsenic Portugal dominated possession but were incapable to get the amended of immoderate disciplined DR Congo defending.

He did not look a earthy people antheral and had conscionable 25 touches, the fewest of immoderate Portugal starter, and 10 less than Yoane Wissa, who played upfront and scored the equaliser for DR Congo. By comparison, Portugal substitute Rafael Leao had 14 touches aft helium came connected aft 72 minutes.

It was Ronaldo’s second-fewest touches ever successful 23 World Cup appearances and 17 of his 22 attempted passes went backwards.

He struggled to find abstraction successful a disciplined Congolese defence and had 3 shots, each of them off-target, spurning 2 close-range opportunities for what mightiness person been a second-half winner, continuing the squanderous signifier helium showed successful Portugal’s last warm-up lucifer against Nigeria on June 10.

Ronaldo could inactive marque past and people successful a sixth World Cup if helium tin find the nett successful either of the remaining radical games against Uzbekistan connected Tuesday (17:00 GMT) and Colombia the pursuing Saturday nighttime (23:30 GMT) oregon the knockout stages.

If helium does the latter, it would beryllium for the archetypal time. His 8 World Cup goals person each travel successful radical games. He was dropped for the triumph implicit Switzerland successful the Round of 16 astatine Qatar 2022 – his archetypal non-start astatine a large tourney successful 14 years, and, interestingly, a crippled which his broadside won 6-1.

Ronaldo has scored 143 goals successful 229 appearances – some men’s satellite records – but his lone extremity successful the past World Cup came from a penalty, successful the opening crippled against Ghana. He went scoreless astatine Euro 2024 and has present gone 10 games without scoring successful a large tournament.

He was 36 the past clip helium scored from unfastened play successful a large tournament, against Germany successful Euro 2020.

‘It makes nary consciousness to sub Ronaldo’

Portugal brag Roberto Martinez did not criticise Ronaldo successful his post-match media conference, saying: “We person to utilise each the players connected the pitch. The pb attacker [Ronaldo] needs to beryllium adjacent to the six-yard container and we request to get the shot [to him].”

Asked wherefore helium had not substituted Ronaldo aft an ineffectual performance, Martinez said: “It makes nary consciousness to get the champion goalscorer successful satellite shot retired successful a crippled that you request goals.

“For america successful moments similar this, the acquisition of Cristiano successful the container is important. The mode that helium attracts defenders is important; the mode ⁠that we tin usage the abstraction is important.

“And each subordinate has a work connected the pitch. And clearly, erstwhile you look for goals, you request to person Cristiano.”

‘Portugal is simply a amended broadside without him’

At 1 constituent successful the 2nd half, Ronaldo ducked retired of a tally towards the six-yard box, past pulled distant from his marker to conscionable a cut-back from Francisco Conceicao 9 yards retired and finished the series erstwhile helium skewed his changeable past the adjacent post.

Just down him, Bruno Fernandes, for whom the walk seemed to person been intended, was near with his caput successful his hands portion Ronaldo grimaced.

Speaking connected Fox successful the USA, France’s erstwhile World Cup victor Thierry Henry remarked: “One happening that’s important – the squad needs to score, you bash not request to score.

“But due to the fact that helium [Ronaldo] wants to score, helium goes into the way of Fernandes. If helium goes into that six-yard box, [the defender] would person had to travel him and past it would person been a tap-in for Fernandes.

“But due to the fact that helium wants to score, helium goes into the way of the pass. You spot some players, and it’s easier for you to defend,” Henry added.

Former Ghana midfielder Kevin Prince Boateng, speaking connected SBS Sport successful Australia, said: “Can I beryllium honest? Ronaldo, if helium would beryllium a existent squad player, would measurement down and fto the young players flow. Because Portugal is simply a amended broadside without him.

“If Portugal wants to person a accidental to spell far, I judge Ronaldo should measurement down, fto the others play and travel successful for the past 15 to 20 minutes.”

Cristiano Ronaldo headed to the changing country unsocial aft the 1-1 gully with DR Congo [Annegret Hilse/Reuters]