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The day after Portugal’s frustrating 1-1 draw with the Democratic Republic of the Congo in their opening match of the 2026 World Cup, Cristiano Ronaldo has found himself under heavy scrutiny from both fans and analysts.

The Al-Nassr forward endured a disappointing outing, especially when compared to Lionel Messi, who had scored the tournament’s first hat-trick just a day earlier. For Ronaldo, the statistics that followed this performance paint an even grimmer picture.

The Portuguese captain has now gone ten consecutive matches without scoring in either the European Championship or the World Cup. That run includes games against Uruguay, South Korea, Switzerland, and Morocco in 2022; Czechia, Turkey, Georgia, Slovenia, and France in 2024; and now the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2026 — ten matches, zero goals.

The underlying numbers make the situation even more concerning. Over those ten fixtures, Ronaldo attempted 33 shots, but only 11 were on target. It’s a sharp contrast to his earlier years, when he was renowned for his clinical finishing and consistency on the biggest stages.

In Portugal, discussions have begun to intensify about whether it is time for the national side to look beyond their legendary number seven. Some pundits have suggested that, despite his leadership and experience, his diminishing impact in front of goal might force coach Roberto Martínez to make a difficult decision as the tournament progresses.

While Ronaldo’s determination and professionalism remain unquestioned, the lack of goals in competitive fixtures is becoming a major talking point. As Portugal prepare for their next group-stage clash, all eyes will be on whether CR7 can finally break his drought and silence his critics.