Ronaldo flops in Portugal's World Cup opener but vows to play on until 1,000th goal

Cristiano Ronaldo wasted two clear chances as Portugal were held to a 1-1 draw by DR Congo in their World Cup 2026 group-stage opener, with the 41-year-old’s performance drawing sharp criticism from Thierry Henry. The result left Ronaldo without a goal in his last 10 appearances in international tournaments.

Despite the frustrating evening, Ronaldo has made clear he has no intention of walking away from the game. Last December, after being named Best Middle East Player at the Globe Soccer Awards, he confirmed that reaching 1,000 career goals remains his driving motivation. Currently on 973, he said: “I want to reach that number that you all know. I will reach the number for sure, if no injuries.”

At club level, the case for his continued involvement is hard to argue against. Ronaldo scored 30 goals in 37 games across all competitions for Al-Nassr this season, and his overall trajectory suggests the milestone is within reach. The question, increasingly, is whether his international contributions can match his club output.

The draw against DR Congo also marked a historic occasion — Ronaldo became only the second player, after Lionel Messi earlier the same day, to compete in a sixth World Cup tournament. But the record did little to deflect attention from his display on the pitch.

Henry, speaking as a pundit, was particularly pointed in his assessment, arguing that Ronaldo’s desire to score personally worked against his team. He highlighted a moment where Ronaldo moved into the path of Bruno Fernandes, denying his teammate a straightforward opportunity. “The team needs to score, not you need to score,” Henry said. “If he goes into the six-yard box, it would have been a tap-in for Bruno Fernandes.”

Henry returned to the theme with a second example: “Because he wants to score, he goes in the path of the backpass. You see both players and it’s easier for you to defend. The team needs to score, not you.”

Portugal will need a sharper collective performance — and a more selfless Ronaldo — if they are to advance deep into the tournament. Whether the captain can rediscover his international scoring touch, goalless now across a full decade of major tournament appearances, may prove the defining subplot of Portugal’s World Cup campaign.