7M - Cristiano Ronaldo Goal Drought Reaches Ten Tournament Games After World Cup Opener

While major global stars like Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, and Erling Haaland successfully opened their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaigns with standout performances, Cristiano Ronaldo was unable to find the net in Portugal's tournament debut. Head coach Roberto Martinez named the team captain to the starting lineup, allowing Ronaldo to join Messi as the only players in football history to participate in six different World Cups. However, the historic milestone was overshadowed by a continued lack of goals.

With the scoreless outing in Portugal's - draw against DR Congo, Ronaldo's goal drought in major international tournaments has now extended to 10 consecutive matches. Throughout this quiet spell, the forward has recorded 33 total shots, hitting the target just 11 times. His last goal at a major tournament dates back to the opening match of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where he scored a 65th-minute penalty during a 3-2 victory against Ghana. Since that moment, he has failed to score in subsequent Qatar 2022 fixtures against Uruguay, South Korea, Switzerland, and Morocco, went entirely scoreless through all five games at UEFA Euro 2024, and was kept quiet in this week's 2026 opener.

As Portugal seeks a deeper run in the tournament, the squad has had to rely on other contributors. Young talents Joao Neves, who secured Portugal's only goal against DR Congo, and Francisco Conceicao lead the national team's scoring over the last 10 games with three goals each. Meanwhile, Goncalo Ramos remains the last Portuguese player to score prolifically in a major knockout setting, following his hat trick against Switzerland in 2022. Portugal will look to break their current form and help their captain rediscover his clinical touch when they face Uzbekistan in Houston, Texas, on June 23.