'Ronaldo is not the same as he used to be'

Following the 1-1 draw with Portugal in Group K of the 2026 World Cup, Ngal'ayel Mukau revealed that the Democratic Republic of Congo doesn't need a special plan to deal with Cristiano Ronaldo.

Cristiano Ronaldo was disappointing in the match against the Democratic Republic of Congo.

On the morning of June 18th, after helping the Democratic Republic of Congo draw 1-1 with Portugal in Group K of the 2026 World Cup, goalkeeper Ngal'ayel Mukau shared some noteworthy insights on how to neutralize Ronaldo.

When asked if the Democratic Republic of Congo team had prepared any special plan to stop Portugal's greatest goalscorer in history, he said: "To be honest, not really, because we know he's not the same as he used to be... he's a bit older now."

Despite giving a realistic assessment of his performance, the Democratic Republic of Congo goalkeeper still showed respect for his opponent. He emphasized: "However, he is still one of the greatest players of all time, very respectable!"

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This assessment directly addresses the reality of the 41-year-old striker's current form, who is experiencing the longest goalless streak of his career (10) in major tournaments such as EURO or World Cup.

In the match against the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ronaldo delivered a disappointing performance, failing to register a single successful dribble or even a shot on target. The Portuguese captain only touched the ball 25 times throughout the entire match, despite the "European Selecao" controlling possession for 75%.

Portugal will now look to their clash with Uzbekistan on June 24th for their first victory at the 2026 World Cup. In their final match, the team will face Colombia (June 28th).

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Source: https://znews.vn/ronaldo-khong-con-nhu-truoc-post1660828.html