Thierry Henry has taken aim at Cristiano Ronaldo's selfishness, reminding the Portugal striker that "the team needs to score, it's not you who needs to score." The Al-Nassr forward led the line for his country as they began their World Cup campaign in underwhelming fashion, drawing with DR Congo despite taking an early lead through Joao Neves. Newcastle's Yoane Wissa equalized for the African side.
Missed Opportunity
Portugal sought a winner, and Ronaldo, playing at his sixth World Cup, was desperate to be the hero. A crucial chance saw the former Manchester United forward fail to convert from a cut-back. He fluffed his lines, but Bruno Fernandes was positioned behind him ready to fire a shot, only for Ronaldo to intervene.
Henry pointed out that a selfless run from Ronaldo could have opened up space for Fernandes. Speaking on Fox Sports, Henry said: "One thing that's important: the team needs to score, it's not you who needs to score."
Analysis of the Play
Henry elaborated: "Portugal has the ball, Conceicao is going to receive it. Cristiano Ronaldo has been in this situation several times. If you make that run in the opposite direction of the ball, you force the defender to make a decision. But because he wants to score, he goes in Bruno Fernandes' path."
"If he went to that small area, the defender would have to follow him, and then it would be an easy tap-in for Bruno Fernandes. But because he wants to score, he crosses the path of the back pass, making it easier for the defense to intercept. The team needs to score, not you. Did you see Bruno Fernandes' reaction? He wanted the ball to roll so he could tap it in. It didn't happen."
Ronaldo's Goal Drought
Firing another blank means Ronaldo has now gone 10 consecutive major tournament games without scoring for Portugal, a run that includes 33 shots without finding the net. This will only increase scrutiny on his starting role, with some questioning whether the team would be better served by a different forward.
Ronaldo has not scored at a major tournament for Portugal since the opening game of the 2022 World Cup, going goalless throughout Euro 2024.
