Former England striker Gabriel Agbonlahor said that Portugal should consider subbing out Cristiano Ronaldo in their next 2026 FIFA World Cup game if he doesn’t prove to be effective.
Ronaldo, 41, endured a frustrating evening – managing two off-target shots and just 25 touches – extending his scoreless streak in major tournaments to 10 games as the Selecao drew 1-1 with DR Congo despite seeing nearly 75% of the ball.
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Sharing his thoughts on whether Cristiano Ronaldo should start the next game against Uzbekistan, Agbonlahor said on talkSPORT:
“I don’t think he should [start]. I look at Portugal, I look at the players that they’ve got, I look at other strikers… that maybe they could have played in front of Ronaldo.
“But when it isn’t going well, take him off. That’s the only problem I’ve got with it. If you are going to start him and it’s not working, 55-60 minutes off. It’s not working. He’s not holding the ball up. He’s coming too deep and trying to play a number 10.
He added:
“CR7, for whatever people think, he’s past his best. End of story. But it’s ego, isn’t it? Cristiano Ronaldo, you could say, is bigger than Portugal. Well, he is. Messi, his biggest rival this generation, has won the World Cup. Messi scored a hat-trick in his first game. Ronaldo’s thinking, I can do that.
“If his ego can be tamed, Portugal have a chance. … If he demands that he starts every game – he has got that power – I don’t see Portugal winning this World Cup.”
Roberto Martinez’s side next take on FIFA World Cup debutants Uzbekistan – who lost 3-1 to Colombia in their Group K opener – on Tuesday (June 23) in Houston.
“The team needs to score, not you” – Thierry Henry on Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo at 2026 FIFA World Cup
Former France international Thierry Henry said that the narrative around Portugal at the 2026 FIFA World Cup should change from Cristiano Ronaldo scoring to the collective.
Ronaldo attracted criticism for his performance in the draw with DR Congo, with Henry being particularly critical of the Portuguese for dropping deep into the path of Bruno Fernandes.
“One thing that’s important, people, please, the team needs to score, not you,” Henry said (as per India Today). “Because he (Ronaldo) wants to score, he goes in the path of the back pass, you see both players, and it’s easier for you to defend. And that’s my thing: The team needs to score, not you.
“If you make that run here, you make the defender take a decision to crash the six-yard box. But because he wants to score, he goes into the path of Bruno Fernandes. If he goes into that six-yard box, then it would have been a tap-in for Bruno Fernandes.”
Cristiano Ronaldo is playing in a record-equalling sixth – and likely last FIFA World Cup – as he looks to add the one big trophy missing in his impressive trophy cabinet, having never gone beyond the semi-finals.
Edited by Bhargav