-
Bill Connelly
Multiple Authors
DALLAS — Scoring 11 goals in the World Cup is a remarkable achievement. Among countless players who have competed in the FIFA World Cup since its inception in 1930, only eight players have netted more, with legends like Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, Ronaldo (the Brazilian), Gerd Müller, Harry Kane, and Pelé having already secured their place among the all-time greats.
For Cristiano Ronaldo, retiring from World Cup competition with a record that ranks tied for ninth all-time is not something to be ashamed of, especially for someone some argue is between the fifth and tenth best player in men’s soccer history. He achieved this milestone while making history as the first player to score in six separate World Cups.
However, considering his extensive accolades—over 800 club goals, nearly 150 international goals, five Ballon d’Or awards, five Champions League victories, seven league titles, along with the UEFA Euro 2016 and two Nations League titles—the World Cup stands out as a glaring omission on his résumé, a missed opportunity to elevate his status further on the all-time list.
After playing a crucial role in helping Portugal secure fourth place in the 2006 World Cup, Ronaldo’s connection with the tournament has been tumultuous. Despite Portugal’s successes in other tournaments, they managed to clinch only one further knockout victory—a win over Croatia last week in the new round of 32—where he was an unused substitute. His final match saw Portugal bow out after a lackluster performance, losing 1-0 to Spain on Monday.
– Ronaldo’s World Cup career ends disappointingly
– Borden: USMNT’s World Cup seen as a missed chance
– World Cup: Schedule, results, and full coverage
What contributed to Portugal’s frequent disappointments in World Cups? The reasons varied from tournament to tournament; at times, Ronaldo received insufficient support, while in others, he struggled with his finishing. After shining with exceptional performances in 2018, he faced difficulties in 2022 and 2026, which is understandable as he approached and surpassed the age of 40.
Let’s revisit Ronaldo’s six World Cup appearances to analyze what went wrong at times and what moments were successful.
2006 World Cup: Germany
Portugal results:
– defeated Angola (1-0)
– defeated Iran (2-0)
– defeated Mexico (2-1)
– R16: defeated Netherlands (1-0)
– QF: defeated England (0-0, 3-2 on penalties)
– SF: lost to France (1-0)
– Third-place match: lost to Germany (3-1)
1:05
Ronaldo compares Euro 2016 win to a World Cup after Portugal eliminated
Finishing issues plagued him; excluding the penalty, his 26 shot attempts yielded only 1.55 xG (an average of 0.06 xG per shot), and he failed to score from any of them. Nevertheless, he played a vital role in what remains Portugal’s best World Cup performance in the last 60 years. His penalty against England was crucial in advancing to the quarterfinals.
Portugal results:
– drew against Ivory Coast (0-0)
– defeated North Korea (7-0)
– drew against Brazil (0-0)
– R16: lost to Spain (1-0)
During an unusual 2010 campaign marked by an aging squad and a defense-focused coach (Carlos Queiroz), Ronaldo and Portugal faced challenges. They averaged a commendable 1.8 goals per game, but all of their goals came from a single match.
While Ronaldo scored once and assisted another in a thrashing of North Korea, Portugal struggled otherwise, failing to score in their other matches and hitting double digits in shots only once (against Brazil). He accounted for 16 of the team’s 32 shots during the tournament, but only one shot exceeded 0.08 xG, and he missed the chance to create significant impact.
2014 World Cup: Brazil
Portugal results:
– lost to Germany (4-0)
– drew against USA (2-2)
– defeated Ghana (2-1)
At 29 and in the prime of his career—consistently scoring over 50 goals a season at Real Madrid—Ronaldo’s performance in Brazil was disappointing.
Portugal suffered a humiliating defeat in their opening match against Germany, and they were outperformed in much of their second match against the U.S. Just a brilliant assist from Ronaldo to Silvestre Varela salvaged a draw. However, that first match hurt their goal differential, leading to their elimination in the group stage despite winning their last match.
Ronaldo managed to score against Ghana, but that was his only goal, finishing with a measly total of 2.79 xG from his shots. He was once again the team’s offensive leader but couldn’t elevate those around him, marking a disappointing tournament.
2018 World Cup: Russia
Portugal results:
– drew against Spain (3-3)
– defeated Morocco (1-0)
– drew against Iran (1-1)
– R16: lost to Uruguay (2-1)
If Portugal had achieved greater success in Russia, Ronaldo’s performance against Spain would be remembered in a much more positive light. He created a moment of brilliance by scoring on every shot he took, answering Spain’s rapid attacks by giving Portugal the lead twice before ultimately securing a draw.
He followed this performance with an early goal against Morocco and generated solid opportunities against Iran. However, a late goal from Iran forced Portugal to settle for second in their group, leading them to face quality opposition in Uruguay instead of host nation Russia (who would go on to upset Spain). Portugal’s tournament ended prematurely with Ronaldo eliminated alongside Lionel Messi as Edinson Cavani dazzled in the knockout stage.
Nevertheless, at 33, Ronaldo arguably had his best World Cup to date. Following those performances, he played an instrumental role in helping Portugal secure the inaugural UEFA Nations League title the following year, including a hat trick in the semifinals against Switzerland.
2022 World Cup: Qatar
Portugal results:
– defeated Ghana (3-2)
– defeated Uruguay (2-0)
– lost to South Korea (2-1)
– R16: defeated Switzerland (6-1)
– QF: lost to Morocco (2-1)
After a promising start, things quickly unraveled for Ronaldo. Following his transition from Real Madrid to Juventus, he became one-dimensional, struggling to adapt to the need for pressing, while his assist rates declined. Despite scoring several goals, Juventus’s performance faltered, and a standoff with Manchester United’s manager Erik ten Hag ended his time with the club on a sour note.
1:57
Was Martinez wrong not to substitute Ronaldo against Spain?
As the 2022 World Cup approached, Ronaldo’s underwhelming performance in Euro 2020—where he netted just two non-penalty goals—cast doubt on his effectiveness. In Qatar, he scored a penalty against Ghana, but little else; Portugal’s standout moment occurred when Gonçalo Ramos took his place and scored a hat trick in a 6-1 victory over Switzerland. Ronaldo concluded the tournament with only one long-range shot against Morocco, leaving the pitch in tears after the loss.
Coach Fernando Santos seemed poised to move on from Ronaldo, yet the managerial change led to a strategy that leaned heavily on the aging star.
2026 World Cup: U.S., Canada, and Mexico
Portugal results:
– drew against Congo DR (1-1)
– defeated Uzbekistan (5-0)
– drew against Colombia (0-0)
– defeated Croatia (2-1)
– R16: lost to Spain (1-0)
Under the guidance of Roberto Martinez, Ronaldo experienced a brief resurgence with eight goals across nine matches as Portugal claimed their second Nations League title in 2024-25. He also thrived in his debut season with Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia.
Despite the resurgence, he also struggled at Euro 2024, ending the tournament without a goal in four out of five matches, while Portugal was shut out in the last three. Entering the 2026 World Cup, he carried a scoreless streak of nine matches in major tournaments. While Ramos may not have been dazzling at PSG, he consistently contributed at the top level, significantly outpacing Ronaldo with 1.16 goals per 90 minutes compared to Ronaldo’s 0.80 for the national team.
Even though there was still a role for Ronaldo in the team, especially given the respect he commanded from teammates, it was evident that Portugal had stronger striking options.
Ultimately, Martinez did Ronaldo a disservice by maintaining the illusion of his dominance.
After a lackluster performance in the opening match against Congo DR, where Ronaldo was on the pitch for all 90 minutes despite being a nonfactor, Martinez’s defensive comments came off as yet another miscalculation: “It makes no sense to pull the world’s all-time leading goalscorer from a game where we need goals.”
In a similar situation against Spain, Ronaldo registered just 19 touches and faded from importance as the match wore on, yet Martinez reiterated, “When a team requires a goal, you can’t take Cristiano Ronaldo off. He can play the full 90 minutes without issues. His presence opens up opportunities; he can create dead-ball situations in the box.” However, the reality was, he lacked a meaningful presence, especially after the 75-minute mark when he became invisible in the match.
From the 75-minute mark onward, Ronaldo played 66 minutes and managed just one shot, along with limited progressive contributions. His only substitution came when Ramos scored the winner late against Croatia in the round of 32; however, the next match saw Ronaldo retain his starting position, with Ramos on the bench, against Spain.
Even if Martinez felt compelled to start Ronaldo for leadership reasons, removing him from the pitch after 70 or 75 minutes might have enhanced Portugal’s chances against either Congo DR or Colombia in the group stage. With one more victory, they would have clinched the group, setting up a more favorable knockout path against Ghana and Switzerland instead of Croatia and Spain. This outcome could have potentially afforded Ronaldo a final opportunity to shine in a tournament where so many other stars, including Messi, Mbappé, Erling Haaland, and Harry Kane were thriving.
In the end, Martinez’s decision to play Ronaldo for an excessive amount of time reflected a failure to adapt to the current reality. Consequently, Ronaldo’s World Cup career concluded in disappointment.