Cristiano Ronaldo leaves the field in tears after losing the 2022 World Cup quarter-final match to Morocco, at Al Thumama Stadium, Qatar, on Dec. 10, 2022. Photo by AFP |
The last time Ronaldo scored in main time in a major tournament (a Euro or World Cup) was from a penalty in Portugal’s 3-2 victory over Ghana during the group stage of the 2022 World Cup.
In the subsequent two matches, a 2-0 win against Uruguay and a 1-2 loss to South Korea, he started but was substituted in the 82nd and 65th minutes.
Following a frustrated reaction to his substitution against South Korea, Ronaldo was benched for Portugal’s 6-1 thrashing of Switzerland in the Round of 16. His replacement, Goncalo Ramos, scored a hat-trick. Ronaldo eventually came on in the 73rd minute when the score was already 5-1, leaving the final goal of the match to Rafael Leao.
Former manager Fernando Santos kept Ronaldo on the bench for the quarter-final clash against Morocco. Brought on in the 65th minute with Portugal trailing 1-0, the legendary striker was unable to change the game’s outcome and Portugal were eliminated.
The Portuguese Football Federation sacked Santos immediately after the tournament. His successor, Roberto Martinez, publicly declared a team philosophy built around Ronaldo, but the change in leadership has not ended the striker’s drought, Ojogo reported.
At Euro 2024, Ronaldo played the full 90 minutes in Portugal’s first two group matches, a 2-1 win over the Czech Republic and a 3-0 victory against Turkey, where he unselfishly assisted Bruno Fernandes during a one-on-one play with the goalkeeper. With the top spot in the group already secured, he was substituted in the 66th minute of their final group match, a 0-2 loss to Georgia.
The captain continued to start in the Round of 16 against Slovenia but missed a crucial penalty in the 105th minute. After a 0-0 draw over 120 minutes, he successfully converted his spot-kick in the shootout, helping Portugal to a 3-0 victory. In the quarter-finals against France, Portugal drew 0-0 again. While Ronaldo converted the penalty in the shootout, his team lost 3-5.
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Cristiano Ronaldo (number 7) during Portugal’s 1-1 draw against DR Congo in the World Cup group stage, at the NRG Stadium in Houston, USA, on June 17, 2026. Photo by AP |
The drought has now continued into the opening match of the 2026 World Cup on June 17, where Portugal drew 1-1 with DR Congo. Ronaldo was quiet in this game, notably missing two solid opportunities in the second half. His goalless streak has now extended to 802 minutes of play across 10 major tournament matches.
After the disappointing draw against DR Congo, Ronaldo was one of the first players to head down the tunnel, while the majority of the squad stayed on the pitch to thank the fans.
During the match, Portugal took an early lead through a 6th-minute header from Joao Neves. However, they failed to hold onto their advantage, allowing DR Congo’s Yoane Wissa to head home an equalizer in the first-half stoppage time.
Despite the setback, a 1-1 draw is not disastrous for Portugal. They will face Uzbekistan and Colombia in their remaining Group K fixtures. Under the expanded 48-team format for the 2026 World Cup, which features 12 groups, the top two teams from each group and the eight best third-placed teams will advance to the Round of 32.
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