- Portugal , captained by Cristiano Ronaldo , were held to a 1-1 draw by DR Congo in Houston, with Ronaldo failing to score during the match.
- Pundit Thierry Henry criticised Ronaldo's play, explaining how his movement to score for himself inadvertently blocked a potential goal for teammate Bruno Fernandes, emphasising that "the team needs to score, not you."
- BBC's Chris Sutton labelled Portugal manager Roberto Martinez's decision not to substitute Ronaldo as "embarrassing," suggesting Martinez was "scared" to take off the star player despite his ineffective performance.
- Sutton further argued that Martinez was not acting as the true manager of the Portugal team by allowing Ronaldo to remain on the pitch when the game had passed him by.
- Ronaldo, who holds 229 caps and 143 goals, is aiming to become the first player to score in six World Cups, with Portugal's next match scheduled against Uzbekistan.
IN FULL
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