Cristiano Ronaldo once again found himself at the center of attention, but this time for all the wrong reasons: Thierry Henry ruthlessly criticized the performance of the Portuguese captain after Portugal allowed a 1-1 draw against the Democratic Republic of Congo, which became one of the most surprising results of the World Cup group stage. The match was also marked by a historic achievement for the Congolese, who secured their first-ever point in a World Cup finals, thanks to a decisive goal from Yoanne Wissa, a forward for Newcastle.
At 41 years and 132 days old, [Cristiano Ronaldo](https://apitofinal.pt/internacional/cristiano-ronaldo-ainda-e-solucao-ou-obstaculo-para-portugal/) made history by becoming the oldest outfield player ever to play in a World Cup match, [but](https://apitofinal.pt/internacional/declan-rice-garante-estar-apto-para-proximo-jogo-apos-susto-fisico/) this milestone offered little consolation in light of a lackluster performance and a truly unusual statistic: Ronaldo failed to register a single shot on target, touched the ball only five times in the opponent’s area, and completed just one pass into the final third of the pitch. Against a motivated and disciplined [Democratic Republic](https://apitofinal.pt/internacional/ronaldo-falha-oportunidades-e-aumenta-criticas-apos-empate-de-portugal/) of Congo, Portugal fell short of justifying their favorites tag and let crucial points slip away on a frustrating night, played in a tense atmosphere.
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The importance of this draw goes far beyond the simple result. For Portugal, the tie complicates the group standings, making it more difficult to secure a smooth passage to the next stage. For the Democratic Republic of Congo, the point earned represents an unprecedented achievement, capable of galvanizing not only the national team but also all of African football. As for Ronaldo, the match may have signified the beginning of an inevitable decline in terms of influence on the pitch, opening the door for fierce criticism, such as that directed at him by Thierry Henry.
During the post-match analysis on Fox Sports, Thierry Henry did not hold back in his comments regarding the performance of the Portuguese star: “One thing that is important, please, for those at home: the team needs to score, not you need to score.” The former Arsenal striker and French national team player went even further by highlighting a specific play: “Let’s see here Portugal with the ball, Cancelo is going to receive the ball. Cristiano Ronaldo has been in this situation several times. If you make that run, you force the defender to make a decision to close the penalty area. But because he wants to score, he goes into the path of Bruno Fernandes. If he had gone into the penalty area, he would have forced the defender to follow him, and it would have been an easy goal for Bruno Fernandes. But since he wants to score, he goes for the path of the backward pass. You see the two players, and that makes it easier to defend.” These words from Henry were spoken in the aftermath of the match, clearly attacking Ronaldo’s individualistic approach at the expense of the collective interests of the national team.
Cristiano Ronaldo, faced with this avalanche of criticism, found himself forced to digest one of the bitterest nights of his international career. The Portuguese coach now faces the dilemma: to continue betting on the player who is the greatest reference in the history of Portuguese football or to begin preparing for a renewal of the attack, at the risk of jeopardizing aspirations for the World Cup. The draw against the Democratic Republic of Congo has left Portugal with little margin for error and the pressure is increasing exponentially on Ronaldo and the rest of the squad. The upcoming matches will be crucial to determine whether the Quinas can react in time or if this World Cup will be marked by the twilight of a legend and the surprising rise of so-called smaller teams. Portuguese fans are demanding immediate answers and a change in attitude that restores hope to a candidacy that seemed unshakeable but now trembles in the face of reality.
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