10 Matches, 801 Minutes: Ronaldo's Silent World Cup Is Already Crushing Portugal's Dreams
Man, if you watched the World Cup opener for Portugal yesterday, you know exactly what I'm talking about. While Lionel Messi is out here proving his talent is straight up timeless, dropping a treble against Algeria and racking up 16 World Cup goals already, our guy Cristiano Ronaldo? Yikes. It's like his powers have just hit a wall. Messi's got double Ronaldo's tally, and Argentina building around their aging legend totally paid off. But for the third tournament in a row, it feels like Ronaldo is straight up holding Portugal back.
Seriously, they drew with the Democratic Republic of Congo. A draw! For one of the favorites, that's a wretched start. The talk already is, Portugal tried to win with "10 men and a statue," and honestly, it felt like it. Ronaldo's impotence totally condemned them to that draw, and you know what that means? If they don't win their group, that dream quarter-final reunion with Messi in Kansas City? Gone. Just gone. What a brutal start, Emerald City faithful, what a brutal start.
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The Drought Is Real, And It's Hurting
You remember Ronaldo's historic drive to be the first player to score in six World Cups? Well, he's in his sixth, and he didn't even come close. Not even a sniff. He's now gone 10 matches in either the World Cup or Euros without scoring for Portugal. Let that sink in. TEN matches!
Portugal had three-quarters of the possession, an xG of just 0.69, which tells you they weren't exactly creating prime chances. But when your main striker lacks the speed to run behind defenders or the movement to even elude them? Dude, Portugal was trying to beat a tough defense with a non-presence in the box. He couldn't press, couldn't stretch the defense, couldn't drag opponents out of position. Instead, Ronaldo just stood on the fringes of the game. Get this, when a cross was headed in, it looked like a classic Ronaldo goal, but nope, it was the diminutive midfielder Joao Neves who actually scored. Ronaldo eventually got off three shots, and not a single one was on target. It wasn't just about not testing the goalie Lionel Mpasi, either. On one shot, the 41-year-old stabbed wide, but Bruno Fernandes was free right behind him, visibly irritated. That's a huge missed opportunity, and a clear sign of what's going wrong.
Preferential Treatment Is Crushing The Team
So, Ronaldo stayed on the pitch the entire game. And yeah, you can argue why take off a guy with a record 143 international goals, and nearly 1,000 in professional football, when you need a goal? Plus, he moved so little he probably wasn't even exhausted. But man, it just screams preferential treatment. Bernardo Silva, who was booked, got yanked at half-time. Pedro Neto was off after 70 minutes. Even when Goncalo Ramos came on, it was Vitinha who went off. It totally conforms to a theme. Roberto Martinez, the coach, only removed Ronaldo in one of his five appearances during Euro 2024. This weird alliance between captain and manager means only other players get impacted by decisions.
Sure, Ronaldo has scored in qualifiers, the Nations League, even in the Saudi Pro League, where he averages almost a goal a game. But at the elite international level? It feels irrelevant right now. The biggest number isn't his 973 career goals, it's those nine tournament games he's gone without finding the net. The drought stretches 10 matches, 801 minutes. The question for Martinez has to be: how long does this barren run have to be before you actually bench him, or at least sub him? He's been accused of being too 'scared' to take Ronaldo off. And honestly, watching that game, it's hard to argue.
Portugal needs to turn this around, and fast. They’ve got to figure out if they’re playing to win the World Cup, or to protect one player’s legacy. What do you guys think? Is Martinez going to finally make the tough call, or are we watching Portugal sacrifice their entire tournament for a statue?
This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.