Is Ronaldo the problem?

Portugal's draw against the Democratic Republic of Congo has sparked debate about Cristiano Ronaldo. Portuguese media are still divided on whether he remains an irreplaceable choice at the age of 41.

One school of thought argues that Ronaldo's presence limits the team's attacking potential. Another school of thought questions the opposite: In the current squad, does Portugal have a better striker than him?

To blame CR7 entirely for Portugal's draw is too easy and somewhat oversimplifies the situation considering the match's progression. Portugal played exceptionally well for the first six minutes, but then significantly slowed down. It was easy to see that the "European Selecao" seemed to be merely making back-and-forth passes, despite possessing a Champions League-winning central midfield pairing (Vitinha and Joao Neves) and a top-class attacking midfielder from the Premier League (Bruno Fernandez).

Furthermore, the African team defended disciplinedly, effectively closing down spaces and making it difficult for Portugal's attackers. Ronaldo had a modest 25 touches, but the two most dangerous opportunities after Joao Neves' goal both belonged to him, although he couldn't convert them into goals.

Ronaldo showed his disappointment during the draw between Portugal and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Photo: AP

To conclude that Ronaldo is the root of all the problems is still too simplistic. It's impossible to judge a 41-year-old player by the criteria of a modern striker who operates across the entire pitch.

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He's no longer the physical powerhouse he was at his peak, but he's still a striker who can force two defenders to keep up with him and still possesses the ability to score from inside the penalty area.

In reality, Ronaldo has never been the type of player who significantly influences the overall game. He's always been more of a lethal striker in the penalty box than a playmaker like Lionel Messi – who can create chances, orchestrate play, and dictate the tempo of the match.

Ronaldo is direct, explosive, and more focused on scoring goals. The Portuguese national team has a very strong squad, but it's perfectly understandable why coach Roberto Martinez still includes Ronaldo in the starting lineup. It's not simply an act of gratitude.

Ronaldo may have had a bad day, but that doesn't mean every defeat for Portugal is his fault. Of course, he's not the same player he was in his prime, but ask opposing defenders and coaches if they would dare to let Ronaldo roam freely. Coach Martinez probably didn't require him to move around too much and preferred him to operate mainly within the penalty area, to utilize his goal-scoring instincts. Therefore, the criticisms and debates surrounding Ronaldo seem to be overemphasizing and taking things too far.

Perhaps the bigger issue is that Messi scored a historic hat-trick in the opening match of the 2026 World Cup . Besides that, Erling Haaland scored a brace for Norway, Kylian Mbappe shone for France, and Harry Kane also scored for England. Comparisons are always flawed, but they have a huge impact on psychology, the most important factor in football.

No one can predict what will happen to Portugal in the remainder of the tournament. With their current squad quality, they should still be considered one of the top contenders, similar to how Spain struggled in their draw against Cape Verde.

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For coach Roberto Martinez, the most important question is probably not whether Ronaldo is still capable of playing, but whether he has found a better option than Ronaldo for the center forward position? At this point, the answer seems to be no. Coach Luis Enrique often uses Goncalo Ramos as a potential attacking threat from the bench, and Ramos is only a reserve player at PSG, not a center forward who can automatically secure a starting spot.

Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/the-thao/worldcup-2026/ronaldo-co-phai-la-van-de-1045105