Read 3 minutes18 June 2026 06:40 AM IST
Cristiano Ronaldo has been criticized for the way he played in Portugal’s first game at the FIFA World Cup 2026. Ronaldo endured a lackluster day in the park at Houston Stadium. The match against Congo ended in a 1-1 draw Joao Neves’ 6th minute goal was canceled out by Yone Wiese’s strike in the first half. Ronaldo, despite playing most of the game as the spearhead of Portugal’s attack, couldn’t do much.
In fact, there was a point (in the 68th minute) when Francisco Conceicao outpaced Ronaldo and the forward fired his shot wide of the near post. Bruno Fernandes behind Ronaldo was criticized at the time for taking a shot when he was in a good position to score.
French football legend Thierry Henry has explained why Portugal have a problem with Ronaldo’s size, although the former Arsenal striker avoided directly criticizing Ronaldo, one of the greatest footballers in history.
“One thing is important, people, please at home, the team needs to score. (That) you don’t need to score (that). Because Ronaldo wants to score, he goes through the back pass, you see both players and it’s easy for you to defend. If he had gone into the six yard box, Bruno Fernandes doesn’t need to score. “And my team doesn’t need to score. Henry said while broadcasting for Fox Sports where he was joined by Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Really good analysis from Henry. This is Ronaldo’s point right now.
He is playing as a 9, but he was never a 9 and he does not act as a 9. It doesn’t give Portugal points and it hurt them today. pic.twitter.com/yjSaOK2J5J
— Marc Geschwind (@MarcGeschwind) 17 June 2026
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Henry explained that when Concecao was running with the ball down the right, Ronaldo should have run behind the three-man defense instead of running towards Concecao and the ball. If Ronaldo had run behind the defence, Henry claimed, he would have dragged the defenders with him and created more space for his teammates.
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That shot in the 68th minute was one of two that Ronaldo mustered in the game. He tried another shot in the 73rd minute, but it went wide. Ronaldo looked upset after these two.
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Ronaldo did not speak to reporters after the game but posted about the match on X.
Also read | Is Cristiano Ronaldo past his prime? No doubt after the Congo match
“It wasn’t the start we wanted, but it’s far from over,” he wrote. “Keep your head up and focus on the next game.”
(with input from AP)