‘The team needs to score, not you’ – Ronaldo struggles as rivals sparkle Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Cristiano Ronaldo missed two second-half chances in Portugal’s draw against DR CongoByPhil CartwrightBBC Sport journalistPublished17 June 2026Updated 22 minutes agoThree of football’s biggest superstars lit up the 2026 World Cup on Tuesday.Kylian Mbappe’s two goals against Senegal made him France’s all-time leading scorer.
Norway’s Erling Haaland then marked his World Cup debut with two goals in a victory against Iraq.
Lionel Messi went one better, netting a hat-trick for Argentina against Algeria to move level with Germany’s Miroslav Klose as the joint-leading goalscorer in World Cup finals history.
On Wednesday, the stage was set for Cristiano Ronaldo to make his own mark on the tournament – but the Portugal captain was unable to follow suit.
His side laboured to a 1-1 draw against DR Congo, and Ronaldo struggled to make an impact in his first opportunity to make history by becoming the first man to score in six different World Cups.
As the game wore on, Ronaldo appeared increasingly desperate to end a run of nine matches at major tournaments without scoring and he squandered his side’s best chance for a winner when his run blocked a cut-back to Bruno Fernandes, who was in a better position near the penalty spot to score.
Speaking on Fox Sports, former France striker Thierry Henry mentioned Ronaldo was being selfish by taking the pass to Fernandes for himself.
“If he goes into the six-yard box, the defender would have had to follow him and it would have been a tap-in for Fernandes,” mentioned Henry.
“Because he wants to score, he goes into the path of the pass.
“That’s my thing – the team needs to score, not you.”
