"The Team Needs Goals, Not You" – Ronaldo Struggles as Rivals Shine

## Tuesday’s Heroics ### Kylian Mbappé (France) French forward Kylian Mbappé scored a brace against Senegal, becoming France’s all‑time leading scorer in World Cup history.

### Erling Haaland (Norway) Norwegian striker Erling Haaland also netted two goals in his World Cup debut, guiding Norway to a victory over Iraq.

### Lionel Messi (Argentina) Lionel Messi went one better, completing a hat‑trick against Algeria. The three goals brought Messi level with Germany’s Miroslav Klose as the joint‑all‑time top scorers in World Cup finals, each with 16 goals.

## Wednesday: Ronaldo’s Struggle On the following day, all eyes turned to Portugal’s captain Cristiano Ronaldo, who was expected to add his name to the day’s list of standout performances. Instead, Portugal slipped to a hard‑earned 1‑1 draw with the Democratic Republic of Congo.

- Ronaldo failed to score and missed a prime chance to become the first player to score in six different World Cups. - The Portuguese forward intercepted a cross intended for teammate Bruno Fernandes, who was well‑placed near the penalty spot and could have scored easily.

### Criticism from Former Players Former France striker Thierry Henri told Fox Sports that Ronaldo’s decision to keep the ball for himself was selfish, preventing a clear chance for Fernandes. Henri said, "If Ronaldo had entered the six‑yard box, a defender would have chased him, and the ball would have reached Fernandes more easily."

He added, "The team needs to score goals, not you."

### Age Milestone By playing the full match, Ronaldo became the oldest outfield player to start a World Cup game at 41 years and 132 days. He entered the tournament with 229 international caps and 143 goals for Portugal.

### Managerial Decisions Under Scrutiny BBC 5 Live’s former England striker Chris Sutton criticized Portugal coach Roberto Martinez for leaving Ronaldo on the pitch for the entire game in Houston. When Gonzalo Ramírez entered for midfielder Vitinha in the 83rd minute, Sutton remarked, "It’s embarrassing for Martinez. It might work, but are we watching a different match?"

Sutton also noted, "I’m scared to substitute Ronaldo; he’s not the manager. He might score the winner, but the game was already beyond him today."

### Wayne Roo​​ni’s Take Former England captain Wayne Roo​​ni, a former Manchester United teammate of Ronaldo, joked on BBC One that Ronaldo would be "a little upset, but in a positive way" after the strong start posted by Tuesday’s stars. He explained, "He motivates himself; everything is a challenge for him. He’s competed with Messi for years to reach this level. He wants to be the best, which isn’t a flaw. He’ll want two or three goals tonight to prove he’s still at that level."

### Match Details - Portugal took the lead in the 6th minute when João Nieves (Paris Saint‑Germain) delivered a superb left‑wing cross that Pedro Neto headed into the net. - The lead was short‑lived; Newcastle United forward Yuán Wiesa equalised with a header just before halftime for the Democratic Republic of Congo. - Despite dominating possession (75 %) and creating seven attempts, Portugal managed only one shot on target – the opening goal.

### Second‑Half Opportunities In the second half, Portuguese substitute Francisco Conceição fed Ronaldo twice from the right: 1. The first ball fell slightly behind Ronaldo; his weak shot brushed the near post. 2. The second, better‑placed delivery was met with tight defensive pressure, and Ronaldo’s effort sailed wide.

These chances extended Ronaldo’s run to 10 consecutive major‑tournament matches without scoring, a streak that began after his penalty against Ghana in the 2022 World Cup.

Ronaldo touched the ball only 25 times, the fewest touches among Portugal’s players who completed the full match.

### Post‑Match Analysis Roo​​ni observed after the final whistle, "His stats will never be the best; he needs chances. If good chances come, he’ll score."

BBC analysts Gaël Klicke and Olivier Jéro argued that Conceição was in a better position to shoot rather than set up Ronaldo. Klicke, a former France left‑back, suggested Ronaldo’s global star status can unintentionally dominate teammates: - "We said at kickoff that Ronaldo would help the younger players with his personality and experience, but sometimes stars like him, without even realizing it, take too much of the spotlight." - "If Ronaldo hadn’t been there for the first chance, Conceição might have taken the shot. I’ve seen this with Arsenal and Manchester City, where a player’s importance makes everyone defer to him." - "I’m not saying it’s right or wrong, but when you remove them, the rest of the squad steps up."

Klicke added that the situation isn’t solely Ronaldo’s fault; it reflects the coach’s tactical choices. He concluded, "We wondered all 90 minutes whether Martinez would pull him off because we know he can score, but the flow of the game can be abnormal when he stays on the pitch."

--- Author: Phil Cartwright, Sports Journalist, BBC Reading time: 5 minutes