Portugal faces Ronaldo dilemma after Congo DR draw

Portugal faced a significant challenge regarding Cristiano Ronaldo following a 1-1 draw against Congo DR in their World Cup opener. The match began optimistically for Portugal, with João Neves scoring an early header, concluding a remarkable sequence where Portugal completed 84 passes compared to Congo DR's 12. However, as the match progressed, Portugal struggled, allowing Congo DR to equalize just before halftime with a corner-kick goal from Yoane Wissa.

Despite being heavily favored, Portugal finished with fewer shot attempts (seven to eight) and less expected goals (0.64 compared to Congo DR's 0.82). After Neves' goal, Portugal only managed six shot attempts, and head coach Roberto Martinez replaced notable players like Bernardo Silva, Pedro Neto, and Nuno Mendes, while 41-year-old Ronaldo remained on the pitch throughout the match.

In this, his sixth World Cup, Ronaldo had limited impact, finishing with only three shot attempts and creating no scoring chances. Martinez commented, "It became a different game after we scored the first goal," noting a drop in Portugal's attacking effectiveness after allowing Congo DR to equalize.

For Sébastien Desabre, the coach of Congo DR, the match echoed their World Cup qualification match against Nigeria, showcasing their resilience in recovering from an early deficit. Desabre praised his team's mental fortitude, emphasizing their ability to respond under pressure. As for Ronaldo, this performance continued a streak of struggles; he hasn't scored in ten consecutive matches at major tournaments since netting a penalty against Ghana in 2022.

Martinez acknowledged the need for improvement in serving Ronaldo, stating, "We didn't reach the final third at the level we needed to provide service to the striker and make use of his movements." Ronaldo’s recent contributions have noticeably decreased, and his starting role has come under scrutiny as Portugal aims to advance further in the tournament.