Stars Shining Brightly at 2026 World Cup, Except Cristiano Ronaldo

There’s been no shortage of superstar performances at the 2026 World Cup, but one big name is conspicuously absent from the list of notable efforts.

Cristiano Ronaldo failed to score his ninth career World Cup goal during Portugal‘s 1-1 draw with DR Congo on Wednesday in Houston, becoming one of the few high-profile strikers to come away from their team’s World Cup opener without a tally.

Elsewhere, Argentina‘s Lionel Messi recorded the first hat trick of his World Cup career, while USMNT‘s Folarin Balogun, Norway‘s Erling Haaland, France‘s Kylian Mbappé and England‘s Harry Kane each scored two goals during opening round wins.

Ronaldo is 41 years old and is the fourth-oldest player to ever compete at the World Cup. And he looked every bit his age during the Portuguese disappointing tie with DR Congo. He failed to convert on a couple of opportunities near the goal area, appeared immobile at times and came away scoreless during his team’s first match of the tournament.

The international legend has never been part of a World Cup-winning team throughout his illustrious career, with the crowning achievement having eluded him for two decades. The Portuguese great’s first World Cup was in 2006, when his team earned its best finish in Ronaldo’s six appearances in the tournament. Portugal made the quarterfinal round in 2022, falling to Morocco 1-0.

Coming off its loss to DR Congo, Portugal will take on Uzbekistan Tuesday at 1 p.m.in Houston. Uzbekistan squares off with Colombia on Wednesday night at 10 p.m. in Mexico City.

There’s still time for Ronaldo and the Portuguese to make a run at their first World Cup title in the country’s history. However, they’ll likely need more from their star if they hope to pull off the improbable.

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This story was originally published June 17, 2026 at 3:21 PM.