Cristiano Ronaldo is facing the deepest scoring drought of his Portugal career at a record-equaling sixth World Cup in 2026, with scrutiny mounting after he failed to find the net in Portugal's opening 1-1 draw against DR Congo.
Ronaldo has largely dominated at club level across the Premier League, Champions League, LaLiga, and Serie A at different stages of his career. The World Cup has been a different story. Since his senior breakthrough, Portugal have become regulars at soccer's biggest international tournament, a status that was not always guaranteed. The World Cup remains the one major team trophy Ronaldo is still chasing before the presumed end of his career.
The Al Nassr attacker is competing in his record-equaling sixth World Cup in 2026 and is looking to improve on a modest international scoring record by his own standards. A sixth tournament brings more scrutiny as his World Cup drought grows longer than ever.
No Knockout Breakthrough Since Debut
Across his five previous World Cups, Ronaldo played 22 games and scored only eight goals. All eight came in the group stage. He has failed to score in eight knockout-stage matches since making his World Cup debut in 2006.
That pattern has carried into 2026. With questions already being asked about whether a 41-year-old Ronaldo is a hindrance rather than a help to a supremely talented Portugal squad, he struggled to make an impact in the opening group game against DR Congo. That result extended his run to 10 consecutive major tournament games without a goal for Portugal, a stretch you would not usually expect from a player built for the big occasion.
Prime Video Sport UK posted on social media:
Lionel Messi has scored ELEVEN goals at the World Cup since Cristiano Ronaldo last scored in the competition 🤯🌍
OptaJoe posted:
0 - Cristiano Ronaldo has now gone 10 consecutive major tournament games without scoring for Portugal (FIFA World Cup/EURO):33 shots11 on target0 goalsDrought.
The Numbers Behind the Drought
Ronaldo's last major tournament goal for Portugal came on Nov. 24, 2022, when he scored the opener from the penalty spot in a 3-2 win over Ghana in the group stage of the 2022 World Cup. His last goal from open play came almost five years ago in a 4-2 defeat to Germany in a Euro 2020 group game, played in 2021.
Not including added time, Ronaldo has now gone 778 minutes without scoring for Portugal in major tournament play. During that span he has taken 33 shots on goal, with 11 on target, per Opta.
Portugal's second group game of the 2026 World Cup brings a meeting with Uzbekistan, and the central question is whether Ronaldo can finally end the drought there. Many are also asking whether he should even get the chance.
