&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "‘Far from over’: Ronaldo reacts to Portugal’s draw against DR Congo at FIFA World Cup")
Cristiano Ronaldo missed out on scoring in Portugal's FIFA World Cup 2026 opener against DR Congo in Houston on Wednesday (Jun 17) as the African nation held the former European champions to a 1-1 draw. Far from his best, Ronaldo, 41, failed to create enough chances, extending a frustrating goalless run at major tournaments, including the Euros and the World Cup. Taking to his social media handles, Ronaldo posted his photo with a caption, translated in English, which reads, “Not the start we wanted, but this is far from over. Head up and focus on the next game.”
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FIFA World Cup 2026 Live on Zee5 Photograph: (WION)
Portugal and Ronaldo had massive support in America, but a no-show against a lower-ranked team left them in a tricky spot. With Uzbekistan and Colombia as their next opponents, the 2016 Euro winners must start clicking as a unit soon before it gets too late.
Ronaldo was nowhere near his best against Congo, recording the fewest touches (25) amongst all players on the pitch. Not only did he fail to open his account, but Ronaldo also had no shots on target in three attempts, with Portugal’s only goal coming through Joao Neves in the sixth minute.
Meanwhile, Ronaldo hasn’t scored a World Cup goal since the 2022 Portugal's edition opener against Ghana in Qatar. His last 10 games since that outing included five World Cup matches across two editions (and counting at FIFA 2026) and as many at the 2024 Euros, where France knocked them out in the quarters.
Compared to his greatest rival, Argentina’s Lionel Messi, Ronaldo has just eight goals to his name in 23 World Cup matches, while Messi is the joint top-scorer with 16 goals in 27 games. Messi, however, also leads the goals contribution tally, with 24 G/A (including eight assists).
Ronaldo’s Portugal will play Uzbekistan next on Tuesday (Jun 23) and Colombia on Sunday (Jun 28).
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