New Delhi: Cristiano Ronaldo remains one of the most celebrated footballers ever. However, his performance in the 2026 FIFA World Cup has grabbed attention worldwide. On Tuesday, when Portugal lost the Round of 16 fixture against Spain and faced elimination, Ronaldo became the player with the most shots (17), without creating a single chance for a teammate, the highest such tally in a single edition since 1966.
While Ronaldo continued to show sharp finishing instincts and a strong work rate in duels, the lack of assists or key passes suggests Portugal’s attack has become heavily reliant on his individual efforts rather than collective build-up.
In the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the Portuguese captain had his moments, especially against Uzbekistan, where he scored two goals. The striker scored three goals and became the first player to score in six different World Cup tournaments and Portugal’s all-time leading World Cup scorer with 11 career goals. However, his influence was limited in later matches, including a limited role in the 0-1 loss to Spain.
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Inactivity of Cristiano Ronaldo
Apart from zero chances created in this edition of the world’s biggest football tournament, Ronaldo accumulated several other unwanted statistics during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
In the decisive knockout match against Spain, Ronaldo was completely isolated upfront, managing just 19 touches during the entire 90 minutes. This marked the second-fewest touches he has ever recorded in a World Cup match that he started.
After this performance, former Premier League striker Chris Sutton compared Ronaldo to a “grandad”.
“What is Roberto Martinez doing? How can you pander to a player so much?” he had asked.
Meanwhile, across his 441 minutes played on the pitch in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Ronaldo did not complete a single dribble. He finished his final two knockout matches without even attempting to beat a defender one-on-one, extending his international streak to 15 consecutive Portugal matches without a completed dribble.
He also managed to provide just two key passes of 94 total passes attempted across five matches, with zero coming during the group stage or the Round of 16 match against Spain.
While Ronaldo’s shooting volume reflected his enduring threat and record-chasing drive at age 41, the absence of assists and key passes highlights criticisms regarding squad dynamics and reliance on the veteran forward. This becomes particularly concerning for Portuguese team management, who would have to put in extra work to sort out their team dynamics, especially as Portugal faces yet another World Cup exit.
(Edited by Saptak Datta)