Small time after Democratic Republic of Congo don knack draw 1-1 with Portugal for dia first match for World Cup, African midfielder Ngal’ayel Mukau yarn about how e face Cristiano Ronaldo. “We know say e no be di same again, so we know say e go run less. Maybe I expect small better from am, but na normal, e don old small. Na honour to play against am,” di Lille player tok.
Di poor performance of di Seleção captain don begin to cause big storm for Portugal, where im starting position na matter of state wey even former president Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa talk about for 2022, when e give words of support to Cristiano after Morocco bin eliminate Portugal for Qatar World Cup quarter-finals. Dat time, coach Fernando Santos don sideline Ronaldo after first round and choose Gonçalo Ramos as striker.
Despite di whole debate wey even turn dramatic with Ronaldo sisters and im girlfriend Georgina RodrÃguez dey talk after di poor show against Congo, di coach from Balaguer defend say “e no get sense to remove di best goal scorer for world football for match wey we need goals.” “Cristiano experience for di box important for us. Di way e attract defenders important, di way we fit use space important,” e reason.
Ronaldo against Congo record di fewest touches among Portuguese players wey play more dan 60 minutes, only 25. E no attempt single dribble, e complete 19 of 21 passes, and e send all three shots off target. Di two most dangerous chances come for second half, when e connect wit ball near penalty spot. None of dose two clear chances, but di feeling be say for old Cristiano time dem go don finish am wit im powerful strike.
Di all-time top scorer wit 973 goals – 143 for Portugal – don go 10 consecutive matches without scoring for major tournaments, World Cup and Euros. But for qualification matches for USA, Mexico and Canada, e score five goals for five matches. E also score eight for nine Nations League matches wey Portugal win for 2025 against Spain, plus di 28 wey e score dis season wit Al Nassr for Saudi league, a competition wit weaker defenses dan Premier League, LaLiga or Serie A.
Former French footballer Thierry Henry, wey bin play against am for England and Spain, argue for Fox Sports say Ronaldo obsession to finish plays dey interfere wit teammates space. “One important thing be say di team need to score; no be you alone wey suppose score,” e talk while e look camera.
Di small connection between di striker and di team play, plus benching of players like Ramos and Rafael Leão against Congo, don cause hurricane around am for Portugal. Di newspaper O Jogo publish after draw front page wit message “Depression Cristiano” while A Bola headline be “Di captain under fire.” Di snowball grow more after some media, influencers and commentators misquote João Neves, wey score di 1-0. Di PSG midfielder talk after match say dem dey united, di draw no go discourage dem, and Ronaldo na teammate like any oda: “E no different from others and e go contribute di same as everyone else.”
Social media full of rumors and Georgina reply for Instagram to critical message about Cristiano wey pretend say na Neves girlfriend write am. “Wow, how di new generations dey come,” di striker fiancée fire for comment wey she later delete, while one of im sisters dey curse di referee and di oda dey like posts against midfielder Bruno Fernandes.
Di Seleção don try isolate from noise and send unity message. For first press conference after di 1-1 wey dem hold for luxurious Palm Beach island for Florida, where di group set dia base, Rúben Neves, one of di captains, see as question after question about Ronaldo dey rain. “You dey disappoint me. I tink say you go ask me something about di beach,” e joke wit one journalist. Di central defender talk about “unnecessary agitation” and “false information” wey no dey help, but e stress say di team dey used to dis situation: “Cristiano dey receive plenty attention and always dey for spotlight, dat na how e don be since I dey for national team and e go continue for future. No new thing, na just media noise.”
On Sunday, afta thousands of Ronaldo fans fill Neves, im girlfriend, Bruno Fernandes and even brilliant Vitinha Instagram accounts wit offensive comments, na Francisco Conceição come out to quench fire: “Dere no anybody like Cristiano wit im quality to score goals. E dey here to help, like any oda.” And e add: “We no get obligation to pass am ball. I dey pass am to di one wey dey unmarked.” Di defence for di striker don be unanimous from di squad and di coach. Ronaldo himself post last week for im social media photo for training wit several teammates, including Neves, wit message “always united!”
Im lack of goal production for big stages and di shrinking of im football contrast wit di display wey oda distinguished figures for tournament don show so far. Messi, wey don score five goals, become on Monday di all-time top scorer for World Cups wit 18, and Mbappé, Haaland and Kane don score two goals each. For Qatar 2022, Fernando Santos choose to sideline di most important footballer for Portugal history after group stage when e see say im impact don reduce and im limited defensive involvement dey affect di team. “When I tell am say e no go start, e ask me if na good idea. Of course e no happy,” di former coach talk about dia conversation den.
Four years after dat fire and after di drop for poor play and 1-1 against Congo, Roberto MartÃnez dey risk wit Ronaldo against Uzbekistan as di number nine for one of di candidates to win World Cup: “Clearly, you need to get Cristiano when you dey look for goals.”
