Cristiano Ronaldo‘s World Cup opener did not go the way he wanted. Portugal drew 1-1 with DR Congo in Houston, with Ronaldo playing the full 90 minutes and failing to register a single shot on target. At 41 years old, he had a chance to become the first man to score in six different World Cups. The opportunity slipped away.
The result reignited a conversation that has followed Ronaldo for years now. Is his continued presence helping Portugal, or is one of the most talented squads in the tournament being forced to adapt around a legend who will not step back?
Two of his former Manchester United teammates weighed in this week, and neither held back. A World Cup-winning forward added his own pointed take on the same incident.
What Scholes Said About Ronaldo
Speaking on the goodbadfootball podcast, Paul Scholes questioned the logic of Ronaldo continuing to play as a central striker at his age.
“For a 40, 41 year old to be playing centre forward, I just don’t get it,” Scholes said.
He went further, suggesting the position itself makes the situation harder to justify than it might be elsewhere on the pitch.
“I think you might get away with it at centre half, you might do in a team that keeps the ball, but as a centre forward at 40, I think it’s a little bit selfish that he’s actually still doing it.”
That is a pointed critique from someone who played alongside Ronaldo during his rise at Old Trafford and has watched his career unfold from the inside.
41-year-old Ronaldo is holding Portugal back! 🇵🇹
Henry’s Take on the Missed Chance
Thierry Henry, speaking on Fox Sports, zeroed in on a specific moment that he felt summed up the issue. With a clear chance to set up Bruno Fernandes for a tap-in, Ronaldo instead ran into the path of the pass himself.
“If he goes into the six-yard box, the defender would have had to follow him and it would have been a tap-in for Fernandes,” Henry said. “Because he wants to score, he goes into the path of the pass. That’s my thing, the team needs to score, not you.”
Henry’s comments came from a different vantage point than Scholes and Butt, a rival superstar rather than a former teammate, but the conclusion was strikingly similar.
He’s playing as a 9, but he’s never been a 9 and he’s not acting as a 9. Not giving Portugal those traits and it hurt them today.
Butt’s More Measured Take on Ronaldo
Nicky Butt offered a different angle on the same conversation, one that captured why this debate refuses to go away cleanly.
“You know what he’s like,” Butt said.
The comment was not a dismissal of Ronaldo’s greatness. It was an acknowledgment that the same competitive drive that made him one of the best players in history is the same trait that makes it difficult for him to accept a smaller role now, even as his physical output declines.
What Happened on the Pitch
GettyPortugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo.
Against DR Congo, Portugal took an early lead through Joao Neves. Yoane Wissa equalized before halftime. Ronaldo had two clear chances in the second half off cutbacks from Francisco Conceicao, missing both. His tally of 25 touches was the fewest of any Portugal outfield player who played the full match.
Manager Roberto Martinez defended his decision to keep Ronaldo on for the full match. He argued there was little sense in removing the country’s top goal scorer when Portugal needed a goal.
That defense is exactly what fuels the broader debate. Ronaldo can still finish chances at the club level for Al-Nassr. But Portugal’s roster is built around pace and movement. Players like Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, and Rafael Leao are all suited to a more dynamic system than one built around a central striker who no longer moves the way he once did.
Final Word
Scholes, Henry, and Butt are not strangers to Ronaldo’s competitive nature. They watched it up close for years and understand exactly why he refuses to step aside.
The question now is whether that same refusal helps or hurts Portugal as this World Cup unfolds. One draw will not define the answer. But the conversation around Ronaldo’s role is only getting louder.
Cristiano Ronaldo Hit With Brutal Criticism After World Cup Opener