Cristiano Ronaldo’s quiet night reveals Portugal’s biggest problem at the World Cup
Three days ago, Cristiano Ronaldo shouted “I’m back” to the TV cameras after becoming the first footballer to score in six different World Cups. It felt like the perfect reminder that even at 41, football’s greatest goalscorer can still bend the sport to his will.
Saturday night in Miami told a completely different story.
There was no goal. No celebration. No iconic moment. Instead, Ronaldo spent much of the evening waving at teammates, pointing to empty spaces and waiting for Portugal’s attack to finally remember they were standing inside Colombia’s penalty area.
Colombia vs Portugal, FIFA World Cup 2026: HIGHLIGHTS
It never really happened.
The Group K decider finished 0-0 and Colombia deservedly topped the group after playing the better football for a long time. Portugal advanced as runners-up and will now face Croatia in the round of 32, while Colombia have earned a meeting with Ghana. Elsewhere, DR Congo completed a remarkable comeback from a goal down to beat Uzbekistan 3-1 to claim one of the best qualifying spots in third place and book a last-32 clash with England in their first World Cup appearance since 1974.
For Portugal, however, the result was almost secondary.
It was the first time they had faced truly elite opposition in the tournament and they looked alarmingly ordinary.
The score suggests a hard-fought putt. The performance hinted at something much more interesting.
Portugal survived.
And they only did it because Diogo Costa produced one of the best goalkeeping displays of this World Cup while Colombia somehow forgot where the goal was. Diogo Costa deserves full credit for keeping Portugal alive with a draw against Colombia. (Photo: Reuters)
The South Americans sent 24 shots to Portugal’s 13, forced Costa into six saves and even thought they had a dramatic stoppage-time winner through Davinson Sanchez before VAR confirmed the defender had drifted offside.
If Costa was Portugal’s best player by some distance, their biggest disappointment was much higher up the pitch.
Because the only thing more wasteful than Colombia’s finishing was Portugal’s midfield.
MIDDLE FIELD WITHOUT MAP
This Portuguese team is brimming with technical quality.
Bruno Fernandes is one of Europe’s best creators. Vitinha dominates matches for Paris Saint-Germain almost effortlessly. Ruben Neves brings poise and experience, while Joao Neves has emerged as one of the brightest young midfielders in world football. Add Joao Felix drifting between the lines and Pedro Neto stretching the defense and Portugal should have one of the most fluid attacking units at the tournament.
Instead, they looked like strangers trying to solve a puzzle together.
There was no rhythm to their passing. No obvious attack patterns. No consistent movement between center and attack. Every possession seemed to start with a player stopping, looking around and wondering where the next run was going to come from.
Bruno Fernandes repeatedly dropped deeper in search of the ball as Portugal struggled to progress through midfield. Vitinha was rarely able to dictate the pace. Ruben Neves recycled possession without really accelerating the game, while Joao Felix floated in and out without being the creative connection Ronaldo desperately needed. Bruno was once again a no-show against top opposition. (Photo: Reuters)
The most telling images of the night were not Colombia’s chances.
They were Ronaldo’s reactions.
The Portugal captain was constantly talking to his wings, gesturing to his teammates and pointing to areas where he wanted to deliver crosses. Time and time again he put himself in dangerous positions only to watch Portugal recycle possession away.
Against Uzbekistan, Portugal finally played to Ronaldo’s greatest strength. They relentlessly attacked wide areas, delivered early crosses and allowed him to dominate the penalty box. Against Colombia, that plan disappeared.
Ronaldo managed just a handful of efforts, mostly from poor positions, and spent more time chasing passes than threatening Camilo Vargas’ goal.
It’s not entirely up to him.
Portugal just never looked like a team with a clear attacking identity.
And that inevitably raises uncomfortable questions for Roberto Martinez. Was Roberto Martinez ever the right man for the Portugal job? (Photo: Reuters)
Because this doesn’t feel like a one-off day anymore. Whenever Portugal looked convincing under Martinez, it was often because they were accompanied by individual brilliance. Against Colombia, when those moments didn’t come, there was very little evidence of a tactical framework capable of taking over.
It really looked like the players were deciding what to do after they got the ball rather than executing a rehearsed plan.
For a team loaded with so much talent, that should worry Portuguese fans.
CROATIA WILL PUNISH IT
The good news for Portugal is that tournament football is often about survival. Costa ensured they did just that.
The Porto keeper denied Jhon Cordoba after another dangerous Colombian break, produced excellent saves from Jhon Arias, cleared dangerous deliveries under immense pressure and remained composed throughout a relentless Colombian barrage. Although Davinson Sanchez finally headed home deep in stoppage time, an offside flag saved Portugal before VAR upheld the decision.
Costa could stop almost everything.
He just couldn’t fix the football unfolding in front of him.
To Colombia’s frustration, they were almost as guilty as Portugal when it came to making the most of their opportunities. James Rodriguez once again dictated the attacks beautifully before making way for Juan Quintero, Luis Diaz tormented Portugal whenever he found space, Jhon Arias constantly stretched the defense and Daniel Munoz made an immediate impact off the bench. Yet for all their excellent build-up play, it never saw the final cut.
This profligacy allowed Portugal to escape in second place. Can these Portuguese get a sense of attacking identity in time? (Photo: Reuters)
However, Croatia may not be so forgiving.
A midfield with Luka Modric and Mateo Kovacic will ask even tougher questions than Colombia, and if Portugal once again relinquish control in the middle of the park, Ronaldo could spend another knockout game surviving on scraps.
One subplot also quietly disappeared with the final whistle in Miami.
As Colombia dominated Group K, Portugal slipped to the opposite side of the knockout group, eliminating what could have been a blockbuster quarter-final match between Portugal and Argentina. It also means that football fans hoping for a first-ever World Cup meeting between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi will now have to wait until the final, assuming both teams get there.
However, on this evidence, Portugal have much bigger problems to sort out before anyone starts dreaming of a last dance between two of football’s biggest rivals.
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Issued by:
Debodinna Chakraborty
Published on:
Jun 28, 2026 07:57 IST