Prateek Tanmay
2 min readUpdated: Jun 22, 2026 10:32 AM IST
Cristiano Ronaldo’s indifferent start to his record sixth World Cup appearance last weeek against DR Congo has sharpened the criticism of the waning abilities of the Portugal superstar.
Ronaldo endured a forgettable night, with just three shots to show, after playing full 90 minutes in a tame 1-1 draw against Congo in their Group K opener. The 41-year-old soon became the face of criticism, with pundits and former footballers slamming Ronaldo’s contribution, besides being obsessed with the idea of hunting for goals from the box.
Ronaldo’s lacklustre performance was in sharp contrast to his long-time rival Lionel Messi’s sparkling hat-trick for Argentina earlier that day in a 3-0 win over Algeria. While their recent outings have widened the gulf between the duo, former Ballon d’Or winner Michael Owen has backed Ronaldo to turn around his poor form around.
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Portugal next play Uzbekistan in Houston on Tuesday night, and Owen said he expected the response from the record international goal-scorer to appear in the form of a hat-trick.
“It did not help Cristiano Ronaldo that Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick the night before Portugal played, but I’m not having the criticism of him,” Owen wrote in his DailyMail column.
‘Hasn’t he always played like this?’
“But how many times has this happened and he’s shut everyone up in the next game? If you’re picking Ronaldo then you have to accept what he is there for – and I wouldn’t be surprised if he responds with a hat-trick of his own against Uzbekistan,” the former Manchester United and Real Madrid striker said.
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Owen also brushed aside critics for targetting Ronaldo’s one-dimensional style, insisting that he has remained a box-to-box poacher for a considerable period now.
“But hasn’t he always played like this, to a degree? He has never been a player, especially in recent years, who involves himself in the game.
“He will be there for the big moments, though. If he’s not scoring, it’s too easy to blame Ronaldo. At 41, he is going to be questioned.”
