Has Ronaldo become Portugal’s weakness? You will be shocked to see this shameful record of 10 consecutive matches!

After Portugal’s very first match in the FIFA World Cup 2026, this question has started resonating even more rapidly. The evening against DR Congo was very disappointing for 41 year old Ronaldo. The match ended in a 1-1 draw, but the eyes of the whole world were focused on Ronaldo, who could touch the ball only 25 times in the entire 90 minutes and could not put even a single shot on target at the opposing team’s goalpost.

The match statistics were quite lackluster considering his status. Ronaldo attempted only 3 shots, touched the ball only 5 times inside the opposition team’s box and could only win one tackle in the entire match. This was the second fewest touches of his career when starting in a World Cup match, which clearly shows how easily the Congolese defense contained the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.

10 match drought

This lackluster performance has further increased the concerns of fans and football pundits as to whether the impact of this legendary striker is diminishing in big tournaments. What is even more worrying for Portugal is that Ronaldo has now not been able to score a single goal in 10 consecutive matches in major international tournaments (including the FIFA World Cup and Euro Cup).

During this drought, Ronaldo took a total of 33 shots, out of which 11 were on target, but the ball could not hit the net even once. He does not at all look like the Ronaldo who used to convert even half-chances into goals.

Good start for Portugal, then the game was scattered

Talking about the match, Roberto Martínez’s Portugal team had started with a bang. In the sixth minute, Joao Neves scored a powerful header from Pedro Neto’s brilliant cross to put Portugal ahead 1-0. This was Neves’ fourth international goal.

But after this initial lead, Portugal could not maintain its aggression. The team maintained possession of the ball, but failed to penetrate Congo’s defence. Gradually, Congo made a comeback in the match and in the injury time of the first half, Yoane Wissa scored a header from Arthur Masuaku’s cross to level the score at 1-1.

After half-time, Joao Cancelo put Portugal ahead with an acrobatic shot, but VAR ruled it offside and rejected the goal. In the last moments of the game, Portugal’s substitute player Francisco Conceição breathed some life into the team’s attack and also created some opportunities for Ronaldo, but the great forward could not capitalize on them.

Ronaldo’s morale is high despite disappointment

Even though his days are not going well on the field, Ronaldo’s spirit has still not diminished. After the match, he encouraged his fans on the social media platform ‘X’ and wrote, ‘This was not the start we wanted, but nothing is over yet. Keep your head high and concentrate on the next match.

the road ahead is difficult

However, these statistics are truly scary for one of the greatest goalscorers in history. After becoming the first player in the world to score goals in five different World Cups, Ronaldo came to this 2026 tournament to write another golden chapter of his legacy. But the very first match has sparked debate on whether time is taking its toll on the player who has made the history of football dance at his fingertips for two decades.

After losing points in the very first match, Portugal is now under pressure. If they want to keep their World Cup dream alive, then Ronaldo and his army will have to make a strong comeback in the next match.

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