Cristiano Ronaldo touched the ball just 25 times in Portugal's 1-1 World Cup draw with the Democratic Republic of Congo on Wednesday — that's his fewest touches in a full match at a major tournament for his country. He didn't score. He didn't assist. And he may have cost Portugal a win.
At 41, Ronaldo is playing in a record-equalling sixth World Cup. But the evidence is mounting that the five-time Ballon d'Or winner isn't the player who once rivalled Lionel Messi for the title of best on the planet. The contrast on Wednesday was brutal: a day earlier, Messi, 38, scored a hat-trick to lead defending champions Argentina to a 3-0 win over Algeria.
Portugal coach Roberto Martinez kept Ronaldo on the pitch for the entire 90 minutes, even as his team chased a winner in Houston. The decision baffled pundits and fans alike. When Martinez finally made a substitution in the 83rd minute, he took off midfielder Vitinha — not Ronaldo. He brought on Goncalo Ramos, a ready-made striker who plays for Paris Saint-Germain.
“When you're looking for goals you need Cristiano on the pitch, it makes no sense to get the best goal-scorer in the world out in a game where you need goals,” Martinez said. He added: “In moments like this, the experience of Cristiano in the box is important.”
But critics aren't buying it. Former France striker Thierry Henry accused Ronaldo of selfishness after he snatched a cut-back that was meant for Bruno Fernandes, who was in a better position to score. Henry said on Fox: “The team needs to score, not you need to score.”
Former Premier League striker Chris Sutton went further, calling Martinez's loyalty cowardly. “That's embarrassing from Martinez,” Sutton said on the BBC. “He's scared to take him off. He's not the manager… the game has passed him (Ronaldo) by today.”
Ronaldo's decline at elite level has been visible for years. He's now gone 10 games at major tournaments without scoring. At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, then-coach Fernando Santos dropped him for the knockout matches after a string of poor performances. Martinez, however, hasn't shown such willingness.
Even the DRC players noticed. Midfielder Ngal'ayel Mukau said his team had no special plan for Ronaldo. “Not really. We know he's no longer the same player as before and that he's older now,” Mukau said. “At his age he can no longer put in the same effort as before, but I have tremendous respect for him.”
DR Congo — appearing in their first World Cup since 1974, when the country was called Zaire — are ranked 46th in the world. Portugal are fifth. Yet the African side held Portugal to a draw, exposing the fragility of a team considered outside title contenders.
Ronaldo still scored 30 goals in 37 games for Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia this season. He has 143 goals in 229 appearances for Portugal. But at international tournaments, the step up in quality has exposed his declining pace and mobility. Against DRC, he twice stabbed the ball wide after being set up by Francisco Conceicao.
Portugal face World Cup debutants Uzbekistan next. Despite all the evidence, it would be a shock if Ronaldo doesn't start again.