Texas [US], June 18 (ANI): Thierry Henry delivered a blunt assessment of Cristiano Ronaldo’s performance as Portugal endured a frustrating start to their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign. Henry suggested that Ronaldo’s pursuit of personal success may have denied his side a crucial goal, as per Goal.com on Thursday.
In their campaign opener, Portugal had a tough day as they drew 1-1 against DR Congo, with Ronaldo struggling to make an impact throughout the contest.
Speaking on Fox News, according to Goal.com, the former Arsenal striker stressed that the focus should be on the team scoring rather than individual goals, saying, “One thing that’s important, people, please at home: the team needs to score, not you need to score,” as quoted by Goal.com.
Henry added that Ronaldo’s positioning in the final third may have disrupted Portugal’s attacking flow against a disciplined DR Congo defence, particularly during a second-half move involving Joao Cancelo and Bruno Fernandes.
Henry used a specific phase in the match to explain his point, suggesting that Ronaldo’s positioning may have limited space for his teammates. He said that when Cancelo had the ball, Ronaldo could have made a run that forces defenders to make a decision and move towards the six-yard box, potentially opening up space and creating a better scoring chance for the team.
“So, obviously, we’re going to see here Portugal being on the ball, Cancelo is going to receive the ball. Cristiano Ronaldo has been in this situation multiple times. If you make that run here, you – you make the defender take a decision to crash the six-yard box,” Henry said.
Henry suggested that instead of creating space in the six-yard box, Ronaldo moved into an area that crowded Bruno Fernandes and made the attack easier for defenders to handle, potentially preventing a simple tap-in chance.
“But because he wants to score, he goes into the path of Bruno Fernandes. If he goes into that six-yard box, you’ve been in that situation, I’ll see – you would have had to follow him, follow him, and then he would have been a tap-in for Bruno Fernandes. But because he wants to score, he goes into the path of the back pass. You see both players, and it’s easier for you to defend,” Henry said.
Notably, Ronaldo finished the match with 25 touches, attempting three shots without hitting the target, and winning just one duel, underlining how effectively he was contained by the DR Congo defence, according to ESPN FC’s X handle.
It was also one of the lowest involvement games of his World Cup career, marking the second-fewest touches he has ever recorded in a World Cup start, highlighting his limited influence in Portugal’s attacking play.
The frustration adds to a growing concern over his form in major tournaments, as Ronaldo has now gone 10 consecutive matches without scoring in major competitions, an unwanted streak that continues despite his experience and status on the global stage.
Portugal, meanwhile, were held 1-1 after Yoane Wissa’s equaliser cancelled out Joao Neves’ early opener, as Roberto Martinez’s side dropped points in their opening fixture.
Portugal made a bright start, taking the lead in the sixth minute when Pedro Neto delivered a pinpoint cross for Joao Neves, who powered a fine header into the far corner to score his fourth international goal.
However, after the early breakthrough, Portugal appeared to lose momentum, circulating possession without much urgency and creating only limited chances, while DR Congo threatened on the counter.
Their persistence was rewarded in first-half stoppage time when Wissa ghosted in unmarked to head home Arthur Masuaku’s cross and bring the African side level.
Portugal briefly thought they had regained the lead early in the second half through an acrobatic Cancelo effort, but it was ruled out for offside. DR Congo then came close, with Cedric Bakambu striking the post after outmuscling Bruno Fernandes in a warning sign for Portugal.
Late substitute Francisco Conceicão provided some spark for Portugal and created openings for Ronaldo, but the veteran striker was unable to convert as the Portuguese side continued to struggle in front of goal.
Despite late pressure, Portugal could not find a winner, as DR Congo held firm to claim a memorable point in their first World Cup appearance since 1974. (ANI)
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