Doubts regarding Cristiano Ronaldo’s current level are no longer coming solely from the fans. Following the 1-1 draw between Portugal and the Democratic Republic of the Congo at the 2026 World Cup, one of his opponents made statements reflecting a growing perception of the Portuguese captain.
Ngal’ayel Mukau, a midfielder for the Congolese national team, revealed that his squad did not prepare a special plan to neutralize Cristiano Ronaldo—a decision that seemed less surprising after witnessing the Portuguese forward’s quiet performance in their World Cup debut.
“A special plan to contain Cristiano Ronaldo? To be honest, not really,” Mukau said, via TNT Sports Brasil. “We know that he isn’t the same as before. He’s a bit older now. But still, he’s one of the greatest… much respect to him.”
Cristiano Ronaldo delivers one of his quietest performances
The pressure on Cristiano Ronaldo mounted just a day after Lionel Messi netted a spectacular hat-trick to tie Miroslav Klose as the all-time top scorer in World Cup history. However, the Portuguese star was far from delivering a performance that matched expectations.
The forward struggled to create danger and barely managed to influence the flow of the match. According to SofaScore, he received a 6.1 rating, the second-lowest of the entire game.
The only player with a lower score was Congolese goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi-Nzau, who received a 6.0. In fact, several substitutes from both Portugal and the DR Congo finished the match with better ratings than the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.
Portugal faces a tough road in Group K
With Colombia shaping up to be the primary contender for the top spot in the group, Roberto Martínez‘s men are now under pressure to secure victories in their upcoming matches against Uzbekistan and the South American side to avoid risking elimination from the 2026 World Cup.
