10 Players and a Statue: Portugal Sacrifices Another World Cup Chance for Cristiano Ronaldo's Ego
June 20, 2026 · Global
Cristiano Ronaldo is back in the spotlight after his disappointing performance in the opening match of the 2026 World Cup against DR Congo. The Portuguese team appeared to be struggling to adapt to Ronaldo's declining abilities, raising questions about the impact on the team's chances in the tournament.
Whatever Lionel Messi can do, Cristiano Ronaldo cannot do better. A day after the Argentinian started his World Cup in a way that suggested his talent is eternal, his great rival started in a way that suggested his abilities have waned over time. Messi's hat trick against Algeria gave him 16 goals in the World Cup, double Ronaldo's total. More importantly, it justifies Argentina's policy of building teams around aging legends. However, for the third tournament in a row, the danger of Ronaldo hampering Portugal has become increasingly real. The draw with the Democratic Republic of Congo highlighted the difficulties of trying to win the World Cup with a team of 10 players and a statue. For one of the favorites, it was a bad start. Houston, they have a problem. Or he is the problem. Ronaldo's inability condemned Portugal to a draw which, in turn, could mean no final meeting with Messi in the quarter-finals in Kansas City: fail to win the group and they will have to plan a different course. While Ronaldo is appearing in his sixth World Cup, he is still yet to become the first player to score in six tournaments. He didn't come close to it. The fact that Portugal had three-quarters of the ball and an xG of just 0.69 could suggest that their forwards are in short supply. But when the players in question lacked the pace to run past defenders or the movement to evade them, Portugal tried to beat a team that was sturdy with no presence in the box. They cannot press or stretch the defense or draw the opponent out of position. Instead, Ronaldo stood on the periphery of the game. Even when a cross was directed for what appeared to be a typical Ronaldo goal, the real scorer was diminutive midfielder Joao Neves. The veteran ended up having three shots, none of which were on target. There were costs for Portugal beyond the inability to test goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi; another Lionel who emerged victorious against Ronaldo. For his first shot, the 41-year-old went wide but should have let the ball to Bruno Fernandes, who was free behind him and looked annoyed. Ronaldo remained on the field throughout the match. In a way, there is logic to it: why replace a man with 143 international goals, and almost 1,000 goals in professional football when his team needs goals? He moved so little that even a man in his forties might not run out of steam. And yet, this emphasizes the impression that he is getting preferential treatment. Two of the three strikers were replaced: Bernardo Silva who was booked in the first half, Pedro Neto after 70 minutes. Even when Goncalo Ramos came in, it was Vitinha who came out. Ini menegaskan tema. At Euro 2024, Roberto Martinez only replaced Ronaldo in one of his five appearances. The strange alliance between captain and coach means that decisions only impact the other players. Since then, Ronaldo has scored in qualifying, in the Nations League, in the Saudi Pro League. But the ability to average almost a goal per game there feels irrelevant at elite international level. The most significant figure in the end was not Ronaldo's 973 career goals but the nine tournament games he went without scoring. His drought at the World Cup and European Championships has now stretched 10 games, 801 minutes. There are questions about how long that stretch of infertility would have to last for Martinez to drop it, or replace it. There is, indeed, the problem that Portugal lacks a top-class striker right now, with Ramos now a back-up at Paris Saint-Germain. Tetapi pengganti sayap Rafael Leao dan Francisco Conceicao setidaknya membawa semangat, dengan kecepatan dan kemauan untuk menggiring bola ke arah bek. Fernandes likes players moving around him, and perhaps has too few, especially in Portugal's starting eleven. Vitinha and Neves can excel at stylish passing, but they still need pace in front of them. Silva likes fast combination play. Can he do that with Ronaldo? Perhaps, in the end, Portugal suffered because of the generosity that should have benefited them. Ronaldo should be suspended for this match, due to his red card against Ireland. Ketertarikan pada yang terkenal yang tampaknya dibagikan oleh FIFA dan Amerika Serikat mungkin menjadi alasan sebenarnya mengapa dia lolos dengan skorsing yang ditangguhkan. Namun jika Ronaldo tidak memenuhi syarat, Portugal akan dipaksa untuk menyelidiki kehidupan tanpanya, untuk mencoba striker lain atau cara bermain yang berbeda. Dan, luar biasa seperti yang dimainkan DR Congo dan mustahil untuk diketahui dengan pasti, sulit untuk mengabaikan kesan bahwa Portugal akan menang jika mereka bermain tanpa Ronaldo. And so, as at Euro 2024, they risk sacrificing another chance at glory on the altar of his ego.