Cristiano Ronaldo is an anchor on Portugal's World Cup hopes, so why does he keep getting starts?
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- Cristiano Ronaldo took 3 of Portugal's 7 shots in their 1-1 World Cup opening draw with DR Congo, accounting for 0.46 of a meagre 0.65 expected goals, while 13 of 26 crosses were aimed at him.
- Across the last three major tournaments, Ronaldo has scored exactly one goal — a penalty against Ghana at the 2022 World Cup — and converted none of the 2.81 xG he generated at Euro 2024.
- Ruben Dias defended Ronaldo ahead of Portugal's Uzbekistan match, saying the criticism 'isn't directed at just one player' and that scrutiny has been constant throughout his time in the squad.
- On Fox's World Cup broadcast, Thierry Henry criticized Ronaldo for crowding Bruno Fernandes' shooting lane against DR Congo, telling him directly: 'The team needs to score, not you.'
- Goncalo Ramos — who scored a hat-trick in Portugal's 6-1 win over Switzerland at the 2022 World Cup — has earned 21 caps and 6 goals since, and now plays for European champions Paris Saint-Germain.
- Former coach Fernando Santos benched Ronaldo as a 'tactical decision' for the Switzerland game at the 2022 World Cup; Ronaldo refused to speak to him afterward and Santos departed following the Morocco defeat.
Why it matters: Martinez's continued selection of Ronaldo over Ramos carries a measurable opportunity cost: the 13 crosses aimed at Ronaldo against DR Congo could have fed Portugal's deeper creators. With Ronaldo having scored one non-penalty goal across three major tournaments, the decision effectively caps a squad whose ceiling — without him — is markedly higher.
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