Cristiano Ronaldo became the focal point of criticism following Portugal’s 1-1 draw against DR Congo at the 2026 World Cup. A situation where the 41-year-old star took a shot instead of letting the ball reach Bruno Fernandes is causing fierce controversy on social media.
After Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick in Argentina’s victory over Algeria in their 2026 World Cup opener, all attention turned to Ronaldo as Portugal kicked off their World Cup campaign with a clash against DR Congo.
As predicted, the 41-year-old striker started in the attack and wore the captain’s armband for the Portuguese national team. Initially, everything went smoothly for the European representatives when midfielder Joao Neves opened the scoring after just 6 minutes of play. However, the equalizer by striker Yoane Wissa in the final minutes of the first half caused the match to end in a 1-1 draw. After the final whistle, Ronaldo’s performance became a subject of controversy, and the statistics only made the situation more unfavorable for him.
Most notable was his first-half display. Ronaldo did not create any chances, did not register a single shot, had no successful dribbles, and did not win a single ground duel. Naturally, he also did not score or assist.
What is more concerning is that this lackluster performance took place while Portugal controlled up to 80% of the possession in the first 45 minutes. Not only did the statistics lead to criticism of Ronaldo, but a specific situation on the pitch also sparked a wave of debate on social media.
Throughout the match, many fans felt that Ronaldo was too determined to be the decisive goalscorer for Portugal. At many points, CR7 continuously signaled for the ball despite not being in a favorable position. There were even plays where his teammates seemed to choose to pass to him instead of finishing the chances themselves.
However, the most controversial moment occurred in the 68th minute. At that time, forward Francisco Conceicao made a high-speed run into the penalty area before crossing the ball to Bruno Fernandes. This was considered Portugal’s most dangerous opportunity in the match.
But before the ball reached Fernandes’ position, Ronaldo unexpectedly rushed in, cutting across his teammate, and took the shot. As a result, the ball went quite far wide of the goal, and a regrettable chance passed by.
Reacting on the social media platform X, one fan wrote: “If Ronaldo wasn’t so desperate to score, Bruno Fernandes could have gotten a goal.”
Another commented: “This is too obvious. Ronaldo is holding back the Portuguese team. I saw that from the previous EURO and also the World Cup qualifiers against Ireland. This team has so much potential but is having to sacrifice its peak years to serve a 41-year-old striker. It’s unbelievable.”
