World Cup 2026: ‘Civil war could break out’ over Cristiano Ronaldo in Portugal squad

Ronaldo has gone 10 consecutive games without scoring since scoring a penalty against Ghana at the 2022 World Cup.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, he had three shots – more than any other player – and failed to hit the target.

“Whenever people talk about Cristiano Ronaldo, it seems like Portugal is playing in Cristiano Ronaldo’s country,” said SIC Noticias researcher Luis Aguilar.

“It is that there is one person who is much bigger than the common good, and things are more important to work for Cristiano Ronaldo than for the team, when this should not be the case.

Because the reality is that unlike today’s comparisons with Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo is not the best player in Portugal’s team. Messi is still the best player in Argentina’s team.

Despite struggling in Portugal’s opening game, the number seven was on the field for the full 90 minutes.

In 30 starts under manager Roberto Martínez, he has been sent off 13 times, but only once before the 60th minute – in a 5-0 win over Armenia in September 2025. As much as Martínez refused to call Ronaldo untouchable, the numbers paint a different picture.

“It’s not the solution and it’s only part of the problem,” said Louis Mathews, BOLA’s executive director.

“His goals already made up for his lack of defensive contribution. Now he’s not scoring and he’s affecting the attack in general. Mentally, because his teammates still want to serve him when there are better options, but he’s become something of a square peg in the overall attack.”

“He’s on the field because of the praise, not because of the way he played.”

A recent poll from website ZeroZero showed that 63% of Portugal fans who voted did not want him to start against Uzbekistan.