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Cristiano Ronaldo called out by Thierry Henry after Portugal stumble: 'The team needs to score, not you'
Henry was unimpressed with Ronaldo's movement in the final third, criticising what he felt was the Portuguese captain's fixation on getting on the scoresheet.
Cristiano Ronaldo endured a disappointing start to the 2026 FIFA World Cup as Portugal were held to a 1-1 draw by DR Congo, one of the early surprises of the tournament. Many expected Portugal to dominate given the quality in their squad, but Congo proved a stubborn opponent and caused problems throughout the contest. In fact, Portugal managed only seven shots on target and finished with a lower expected goals (xG) figure than their opponents, highlighting their struggles in attack. Ronaldo failed to find the net and was unable to make the decisive impact expected of him on football's biggest stage. His performance drew scrutiny, with questions once again being raised about his role in the starting XI as Portugal look to bounce back in their remaining group-stage matches.
France legend Thierry Henry was unimpressed with Ronaldo's movement in the final third, criticising what he felt was the Portuguese captain's fixation on getting on the scoresheet. Henry suggested that Ronaldo's decision-making hurt Portugal's attacking rhythm at times and pointed to a specific moment in the match as an example of how his pursuit of a goal may have limited the team's chances.
"One thing that's important, people, please at home: the team needs to score, not you need to score," Henry said on Fox Sports.
Henry pointed to a particular attacking sequence involving Joao Cancelo and Bruno Fernandes, explaining that a different movement from Ronaldo could have forced the defence into a difficult decision and potentially opened up space for his teammates.
"So, obviously, we're going to see here Portugal being on the ball, Cancelo is going to receive the ball. Cristiano Ronaldo has been in this situation multiple times. If you make that run here, you - you make the defender take a decision to crash the six-yard box," Henry explained during his tactical breakdown.
“He goes into the path of Bruno Fernandes”
Continuing his breakdown, Henry suggested that Ronaldo's positioning disrupted what could have been a clear chance for Fernandes. According to the Frenchman, a selfless run into the six-yard box would have dragged defenders away and opened space, whereas Ronaldo's decision allowed the defenders to deal with the danger more comfortably.
"But because he wants to score, he goes into the path of Bruno Fernandes. If he goes into that six-yard box, you've been in that situation, I'll see - you would have had to follow him, follow him, and then he would have been a tap-in for Bruno Fernandes. But because he wants to score, he goes into the path of the back pass. You see both players, and it's easier for you to defend," he concluded.
