Portugal’s World Cup Plans Stumble as Ronaldo Faces Criticism

Portugal’s World Cup plans hit an early snag in Houston, and inevitably, the conversation swung straight to one man.

Roberto Martinez’s side opened their 2026 campaign with a 1-1 draw against DR Congo, a result that feels heavier than the scoreline suggests for a team with serious ambitions and a brutal Group K ahead. Joao Neves had settled the nerves with an early goal, only for Yoane Wissa to drag the African side level before the interval. From there, Portugal pushed, probed, and ultimately ran out of ideas.

At the centre of that attacking frustration stood Cristiano Ronaldo.

A record sixth World Cup, a muted start

This is Ronaldo’s sixth World Cup, a record-extending chapter in a career built on rewriting the sport’s history. Yet in Houston, the script looked uncomfortably familiar for those who have watched his late‑career international performances.

He did not register a shot on target. Two clear chances came and went. The usual menace inside the box flickered but never truly caught fire. For long spells, Portugal’s attacks seemed to bend towards him, but not break through because of him.

In a group where every dropped point invites trouble, that wastefulness carries a cost.

Bothroyd’s blunt verdict

Outside the Portugal camp, the patience is thinner. On Sky Sports, former England striker Jay Bothroyd cut through the politeness and went straight for the core issue: Ronaldo’s role.

“Have to be honest, I think if Ronaldo is a team player, I think he should step down and understand that he has to be a player that comes off the bench as an impact player,” Bothroyd said. “Is he ever going to do that? Nope, I don’t think he is. And that’s my point.”

It was not just about missed chances. Bothroyd went deeper, questioning the dynamic around Portugal’s captain and the long shadow cast by his rivalry with Lionel Messi.

“I look at Ronaldo and… the Ronaldo faithful are going to hate me today, but it looks like it’s all about him, yeah? You know, and he’s always chasing Messi all the time,” he added. “He’s never going to be Messi, but what he has throughout his career, he’s made the absolute most out of his career… But right now he’s becoming more of a hindrance for Portugal than help, and I think that’s where Martinez is going wrong.”

It was a harsh assessment, but it tapped into a debate that has simmered around this Portugal side: are they still built to serve Ronaldo, or are they being held back by the need to accommodate him?

Martinez doubles down on his captain

Inside the Portugal camp, there is no such doubt. Martinez has nailed his colours firmly to Ronaldo’s mast and, on this evidence, has no intention of prising them off.

Asked after the draw why he had kept the 39‑year‑old on the pitch as Portugal chased a winner, the coach was unequivocal.

“It makes no sense to get the best goalscorer in world football out in a game that you need goals,” Martinez told reporters. “For us in moments like this, the experience of Cristiano in the box is important.

“The way that he attracts defenders is important, the way that we can use the space is important. And every player has a responsibility or a piece of quality on the pitch. And clearly when you look for goals, you need to have Cristiano.”

From Martinez’s perspective, Ronaldo is still the gravitational force around which Portugal’s attack should orbit, even on nights when the finish deserts him. The coach sees value in the attention he draws, the panic he induces, the mere possibility that one chance might still fall his way.

A familiar fault line for Portugal

The draw against DR Congo does not end Portugal’s World Cup, but it does sharpen the margins. Tougher opponents are coming. Group K will not forgive repeated slips.

Neves’s early strike showed the depth and freshness this squad can offer. Wissa’s equaliser, and the inability to respond, exposed the fragility that remains when the game tightens and the plan leans heavily on one veteran forward finding a moment.

The question now is not whether Ronaldo can still score – his career has answered that often enough – but whether Portugal can afford to keep structuring everything around the hope that he will. Martinez has made his choice clear.

If the results do not follow, the noise around that choice will only grow louder.