‘Because he wants to score’: Thierry Henry lashes out at Cristiano Ronaldo after Portugal’s 2026 FIFA World Cup stumble vs DR Congo

Cristiano Ronaldo faced criticism after Portugal’s draw against DR Congo, with Thierry Henry highlighting his move as damaging. Henry argued Ronaldo’s desire to score hindered team-mates such as Bruno Fernandes, thereby hindering the team’s chances. Despite a stellar international career, Ronaldo’s performance lacked impact, with minimal shots and no chances in the match. Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has come under scrutiny following Portugal’s disappointing 1-1 draw against DR Congo in their FIFA World Cup opener. Former France striker Thierry Henry shared a blunt comment on the captain’s performance as his movement suggested he was hindering the team’s efforts rather than boosting them.He spoke about Ronaldo’s approach to the game and advised him to focus on creating opportunities for the team rather than improving his own account.Henry, who was a World Cup winner for France, drew attention to a second-half incident where Ronaldo interfered with midfielder Bruno Fernandes approaching the ball in the area.The French veteran spoke critically, explaining his analysis of why he felt Ronaldo’s move had jeopardized his team’s chances rather than helped them.Ronaldo’s run was thwarted by a potential pass to Bruno Fernandes, who had momentum near the box. Commenting on the team’s approach, Henry argued that Portugal needed the best opportunities to score, not just the ball heading to Ronaldo.“The team needs to score, not you. Because he wants to score, he goes in the way of Bruno Fernandes,” Henry said in an analysis shared on Fox Sports.“If you do that here, you make the defender decide to break the six-yard box. But because he wants to score, he goes into the path of Bruno Fernandes. If he goes into the six-yard box, you were in that situation. You’d have to follow him and then it would be a tap-in for Bruno Fernandes.”“But because he wants to score, he goes into the backpass lane. You see both players and it’s easier for you to defend. You saw the reaction of Bruno Fernandes behind, like, let it roll, run, create space for me to knock it in. It didn’t happen,” he added.Ronaldo, who appeared in his sixth World Cup, holds the record for the most international goals in the history of the sport with 143. He is now just one goal away from scoring a record six World Cups, a milestone he failed to achieve at the European Championships.

What happened in the Portugal vs DR Congo World Cup match?

In Portugal’s opening game, Cristiano Ronaldo struggled to make his mark. Less than a day after the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland and Lionel Messi put in stellar performances with plenty of goals and impressive victories, the Portuguese superstar came out empty-handed. However, João Neves’ early header helped Portugal secure a 1-1 draw against the underdogs.In 90 minutes on the pitch, Ronaldo managed just three shots, created zero chances, completed only two forward runs and two forward passes, won two aerial battles, did not start a single ground duel and contributed little defensively, registering only one recovery of the ball.