The worst feeling for Cristiano Ronaldo wasn’t that he didn’t score against the team that last played in the World Cup before he was born; Or his two efforts were feeble and wayward; or he appeared a burden to the team; Or he disrupted the system or contributed to defensive rigidity. It was just that the ball had fallen in love with him. Like an exasperated lover, he turned away from him, averted his eyes, turned irresistibly back. Of course, Ronaldo can still win back his love — the competition is long and hard, it could just be a one-night stand.
Portugal drew 1-1 with DR Congo in Houston on Wednesday, a result that felt as flat as Ronaldo’s performance.
But at 41, with attacking gifts, every bad outing draws scrutiny. With every bad day it seems to be getting closer to the horizon.
Also read | Ronaldo after 1-1 draw: We lacked nothing
Despite his age, waning explosiveness, Ronaldo still has the ability to sweet-spot the ball, get it where he wants. Against Congo, he couldn’t. In the 68th minute, Francisco Concecao hit a cutback to Ronaldo.A little behind him. It might be a yard away from his liking, but in his prime he would contort his body properly and find the best position. Even if not, he always found a part of his shiny boots. Here, he curled a shot wide of the near post. He gritted his teeth mockingly, wondering how the touch left him.
The worst part is not that his effort was terrible, but that he stole it from the toe of Bruno Fernandes. The Manchester United midfielder was on his side, more space and a better angle. But Ronaldo’s instinct is not to score goals, but to score them. Instinct betrays when it leaves touch. This was not the first time that Fernandes’ space had been violated. The coaching staff has to find solutions to the constant disruption.
Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, left, argues with Qatari referee Abdulrahman Al-Jassim after showing a yellow card to Bernardo Silva during the World Cup Group K soccer match between Portugal and Congo, Wednesday, June 17, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
More concrete evidence of his diminishing touch came six minutes later. Conceição creates another good cutback, but Ronaldo parries it away. The shot was rushed and without power, perhaps due to a challenge from Axel Tuanzebe. But those were the moments that haunted him once and for all. He was able to locate targets through a maze of legs, shirt pullers and pickpockets without falling into them, outrunning and outwitting them. Here, he was irritated, full of doubts.
There is a cruel contradiction. A man whose career was built on blazing confidence is beginning to doubt himself. Perhaps this is at the heart of his uneasiness – his absolute self-belief blinds him to the reality of his shaky prowess. Ronaldo is no longer who he is. He is still super fit, aspiring to win the only crown not worn on his head, that of world champion. But he is parodying the once great player. He’s the aging lead singer of a heavy metal band living in the grandeur of his past, unaware that his voice box is just cracking.
There is a cruel contradiction. A man whose career was built on blazing confidence began to doubt himself. Perhaps, that is at the heart of his discomfort… Ronaldo is no longer who he thinks he is.
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When he can’t score, he becomes a liability—he’s not engaged in creative or defensive duties, limiting his real estate of influence. Few figures capture his terrific game. He completed just 20 passes in 90 minutes, thirteenth best in the game. His defensive contribution was one. Only two of his progressive actions. He occasionally dropped deep to facilitate link-up play but was unable to match the pace of his teammates. His immobility is slowing down the entire team, a mix of supreme attackers and midfield conductors. Otherwise he lurked in front of Congo’s high line, then dropped back to collect the ball inside, waiting for a cross played behind the line. Try as his colleagues might, none could establish a working relationship with him. He was like a vintage Morris Minor caught in Ferraris.
Parallels with Lionel Messi will inevitably spring up. Messi is slower than Ronaldo, but he creates more — his spatial awareness is superior, his passes are defense-penetrating, his movements catch defenders out of shape even when he still has nothing between his feet. Messi is surrounded by runners who make up for what age has taken away. Ronaldo is surrounded by excellent technicians who cannot compensate for what he no longer provides. That is Portugal’s big dilemma.
Of course Ronaldo wasn’t the only Portuguese footballer to suffer a terrible day, but he was the center of their misery. For Portugal to mount a serious title challenge, Ronaldo’s conundrum will have to be solved. Tough decisions will have to be made – whether to use him as a substitute or replace him earlier than Roberto Martinez did on Wednesday. The manager defended him, as he has throughout his tenure. “We don’t treat Cristiano according to his age, we treat him according to his symptoms and how he feels,” he said.
The diagnosis, however, reads differently. Ball has fallen in love with him. Portugal must settle before football does.