Cristiano Ronaldo isn't the solution, but he's not the problem either

Cristiano Ronaldo, national team captain, after Portugal's draw with DR Congo to open the World Cup.

Cristiano Ronaldo has once again become the national team's punching bag (some may not remember, but he was, around the early 2010s), and it seems many consider him to blame for Portugal's draw with DR Congo, which kicked off the Portuguese campaign in the 2026 World Cup.

Did he play well? No, he didn't. But who did? Would Portugal have been better with Gonçalo Ramos starting? Perhaps, who knows... But the same could be said for Diogo Dalot instead of Cancelo, Rúben Neves instead of Vitinha, João Félix, Trincão, or Gonçalo Guedes instead of any of the four wingers...

It's legitimate to debate whether Ronaldo should start. If he does, should he play the full 90 minutes? But it's dangerous to assume he's the team's problem. Occasionally, the captain misses a game, and Portugal even plays well, leading half the world to believe the national team only functions without him. That's a lie. We've played well with him, and we've played very poorly without him.

Ronaldo, today, is a finisher. He misses, of course, as he did yesterday, and perhaps he's not even the best finisher for the team. But it's not his responsibility, or that of whoever plays in his place, to create chances. And the truth is, Portugal creates very little, and that's not a new issue.

Thank goodness João Neves scored a header — if he hadn't, our streak without scoring in European Championship and World Cup finals would have reached seven and a half hours. To put that burden on Ronaldo is too much for a 41-year-old...