Cristiano Ronaldo's storied World Cup career has concluded, marked by Portugal's departure from the 2026 tournament without securing the sport's ultimate prize. The forward, who holds the men's international football record with 146 goals for his country, faced scrutiny throughout the competition regarding his role in the starting lineup.
Despite his goal-scoring record, some critics have suggested Ronaldo offers limited contributions beyond scoring. Manager Roberto Martinez appeared to defer to the player's stature, a decision that drew criticism after Portugal's exit in the last 16. "How did Goncalo Ramos not get on the pitch?" questioned analyst Chris Sutton, calling the situation "an absolute embarrassment from the manager, just pandering to his star player."
Ronaldo concluded the tournament with three goals, including a penalty against Croatia and two against Uzbekistan. Although ten other players scored more goals, Ronaldo registered 18 shots over five games, a tally that equaled that of joint top scorer Erling Haaland, who scored seven goals. However, Ronaldo created only one chance for a teammate and touched the ball fewer times than 366 other players, despite playing nearly every minute of Portugal's matches.
Martinez defended his use of Ronaldo, stating, "When you need a goal you cannot take Cristiano off, at least in 90 minutes, he is physically capable - his presence, open space, dead-ball situations, we need his experience." The Portuguese squad featured several players with recent success, including four who helped Paris Saint-Germain win the past two Champions League titles: Nuno Mendes, Vitinha, Joao Neves, and Goncalo Ramos. Bruno Fernandes, a Premier League Player of the Year, was also part of the team. The team's performance, reaching only the last 16, fell short of expectations given the talent within the squad.