Cristiano Ronaldo reaches his 10th game without scoring in final stages of World Cups and European Championships.

Cristiano Ronaldo has reached an unexpected and concerning milestone: he is going through the worst cycle of his career in the latter stages of major competitions without managing to find the back of the net. The Portuguese star, regarded by many as the all-time leading scorer for the National Team, now has ten consecutive matches without a goal in World Cups and European Championships, following another scoreless outing in Portugal’s opening match against DR Congo at the 2026 World Cup.

The last time Ronaldo celebrated a goal in a final tournament was on November 24, 2022, against Ghana, in the World Cup in Qatar, when he converted a penalty in the 65th minute, contributing to Portugal’s 3-2 victory. Since then, the Portuguese captain has missed the target in the remaining four matches of that tournament, went scoreless in all five games he played in Euro 2024, and again failed to find the net at the start of the journey on American, Mexican, and Canadian soil. The total is staggering: ten matches, 802 minutes on the field without stoppage time, and not a single goal scored by one who is, for many, synonymous with goals.


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The impact of this statistical drought is severe for the narrative surrounding Ronaldo, who has always lived with the pressure and pride of being the top scorer on great Portuguese nights. There is also the added complication of having been a starter in practically all these matches, accumulating minutes and opportunities without being able to make a difference on the scoreboard. At the Qatar World Cup, aside from the goal against Ghana, Ronaldo started against Uruguay and South Korea but was substituted in both, something that did not please the forward. The most controversial episode occurred precisely against the South Koreans: the then-coach Fernando Santos opted to bench him in the round of 16 against Switzerland, betting on Gonçalo Ramos, who responded with a hat-trick. Ronaldo was again a used substitute in the quarter-finals against Morocco, coming on in the 65th minute, but unable to prevent Portugal’s elimination.

The departure of Fernando Santos opened the door to a new era with Roberto Martínez, but the negative cycle persisted. In Euro 2024, Ronaldo was always a starting option, playing the full 90 minutes against the Czech Republic and Turkey, but failing to score. In the match against Georgia, already qualified and assured of first place, Martínez rotated the team but kept Ronaldo on the pitch, only substituting him in the 66th minute. For the first time since Euro 2004, the Al Nassr forward finished a group stage of a major competition without scoring a goal, a statistic that has not gone unnoticed by fans and critics. In the round of 16 against Slovenia, Ronaldo missed a penalty in the 105th minute, a moment marked by Oblak’s save. The same scenario played out in the quarter-finals against France: 120 minutes of play, with no goals from the captain.

In the debut of the 2026 World Cup, Roberto Martínez again relied on his captain against the Democratic Republic of Congo, but Ronaldo continued to struggle to break the drought, increasing his streak to ten consecutive games without scoring in final stages. The pressure is mounting, the spotlight is intensifying, and doubts about Ronaldo’s starting position are beginning to grow, especially in light of the quality and youth emerging in the Portuguese attack.

Despite the silence of goals, Cristiano Ronaldo maintains his leader’s stance and has already reacted to the delicate moment. After the match against RD Congo, the forward stated: “The important thing is for the team to be united and to continue believing. The goals will come naturally.” The coach Roberto Martínez, at a press conference, reinforced his confidence in the captain: “Cristiano is fundamental to our group, regardless of whether he scores or not. The experience and ambition he brings to the locker room are unmatched.”

The question now is clear: will Ronaldo be able to break this negative cycle and become decisive for Portugal again? The next opponent is Uzbekistan, and expectations are high. If the captain remains scoreless, discussions about possible changes to the starting eleven will gain momentum, especially with names like Gonçalo Ramos and João Félix lurking for an opportunity. At this stage, every game is a final for Ronaldo, not only for personal pride but also for the need to respond on the field to criticism and the growing media pressure.

Football lives on goals, and Ronaldo has accustomed the world to always expect more. The negative record he now carries is an extra burden in the later stages of his career, but it is also an opportunity to silence critics and make history once again. The next match will be, more than ever, a test of the resilience and killer instinct of Cristiano Ronaldo. Portugal and the world are watching: will this be the time the captain shakes the net again?

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