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Portugal superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, who has not found the net for the last 10 consecutive games at major tournaments, will be aiming to overcome his poor run as his team takes on Uzbekistan in an all-important FIFA World Cup group stage clash on Tuesday.
The 41-year-old was underwhelming in Portugal's 1-1 draw against DR Congo in their opening match of the FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign, where the veteran striker struggled to make an impact. Ronaldo finished the match with 25 touches, three shots without hitting the target, and won just one duel, reflecting a tightly marked performance by the DR Congo defence. It was also one of the lowest involvement games of his World Cup career, marking the second-fewest touches he has ever recorded in a World Cup start, highlighting his limited influence in Portugal's attacking play. As per OptaJoe, Cristiano has delivered just one assist and zero goals for Portugal across the last 10 matches in major tournaments, the World Cup and UEFA Euro Championship. This is a stark contrast with his record in the first 43 matches for Portugal, where he scored 22 goals and delivered eight assists. With 147 goals in 229 appearances, he is Portugal's leading goal-scorer and appearance-maker. Meanwhile, Portugal defender Ruben Dias has downplayed recent criticism directed at skipper Ronaldo, describing the surrounding talk as "noise" and simply part of football. Speaking after recent external chatter around the veteran forward, Dias said the team remains unaffected and focused on its objectives. "It is not an issue for us," Dias insisted as cited by One Football. "It is insignificant, just a bit of fuss and noise. It is all part of the game." "First and foremost, the criticism isn't directed at just one player. Cristiano is a major focus of attention, but I think we are all in the firing line. Above all, apart from what I've just said, I do not think anything out of the ordinary is happening. It has always been like this since I have been here. I believe it will continue to be so in the future. In the end, it is noise. We isolate ourselves from it and focus on doing our thing," he added. (ANI)
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