Portugal Coach Defends Ronaldo After Goalless Draw: "Why Take Off the Best Scorer?"

Roberto Martinez, head coach of the Portugal national football team—a top contender for the 2026 FIFA World Cup—has come to the defense of superstar Cristiano Ronaldo following his 90-minute goalless performance.

Portugal, ranked 5th in the FIFA rankings, drew 1-1 against the Democratic Republic of the Congo (ranked 46th) in their opening match of Group K at the 2026 World Cup, held at Houston Stadium in Texas on June 18 (KST).

Portugal took an early lead with a header from João Neves in the 6th minute. However, they conceded an equalizer to Yoane Wissa of the DR Congo during stoppage time in the first half and failed to find a winning goal, settling for a 1-1 draw.

Despite dominating ball possession 75% to 25%, Portugal struggled offensively, recording only one shot on target compared to their opponent's two, ultimately walking away with just a single point.

Ronaldo, who set a record by appearing in his sixth consecutive World Cup, started as the lone striker in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Playing the full 90 minutes, he struggled to make an impact, managing only three shots with none on target. His performance drew sharp comparisons to his rival Lionel Messi (Argentina), who scored a hat-trick just the day before.

Furthermore, Ronaldo recorded only 25 touches, the fewest among all Portuguese players who played the full match.

This served as evidence that he was not receiving sufficient service.

Ronaldo previously made history at the 2022 Qatar World Cup by becoming the first player to score in five consecutive World Cups after netting a penalty in the opening group match.

However, he has failed to score in his last five World Cup matches (four in 2022 and one in 2026), leaving his career total at 8 goals and 2 assists on the world stage.

This stands in stark contrast to Messi, who has climbed to a tie for the most goals in tournament history with 16.

Additionally, Ronaldo is currently suffering from a goal drought in major tournaments, including the World Cup and the UEFA European Championship, having gone 10 consecutive matches without a goal despite recording 33 shots and 11 shots on target.

Nevertheless, at 41 years and 132 days old, Ronaldo set a new record as the oldest outfield player to start a match in World Cup history.

Addressing the draw, Portugal coach Martinez said, "These things happen in the World Cup," adding, "Argentina lost their opening match to Saudi Arabia in 2022 but eventually won the tournament. Spain also lost to Switzerland in 2010 before becoming champions. Those matches might not have looked like championship-level performances, but it is all part of the process."

Martinez did not consider substituting Ronaldo while searching for a way to change the frustrating flow of the game.

"It makes no sense to take the greatest goalscorer in the history of world football off the pitch in a game where you need a goal," he said, dismissing the criticism and defending Ronaldo.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.