Thierry Henry expertly breaks down Cristiano Ronaldo's problems right now after poor Portugal performance

Portugal’s World Cup campaign did not get off to the desired start as they drew 1-1 with the DR Congo, and their talismanic figure, Cristiano Ronaldo, looked frustrated on several occasions as he failed to get off the mark.

The Al-Nassr striker is aiming to score in his sixth World Cup after opening his account all the way back in 2006 at the tournament in Germany when he was just 21.

Ronaldo appeared desperate at times to grab that goal to achieve this feat while also becoming the second oldest player to score in the competition if he hits the back of the net in this tournament, with only Roger Milla being older.

The 41-year-old is prolific in front of goal, having scored on 973 occasions across club and country, with 143 of these coming in the colours of Portugal.

While his record cannot be disputed, the majority of these goals across his entire career have not come with Ronaldo playing in the striker position, with the Al-Nassr star operating from a wide position.

It is for that exact reason that Thierry Henry believes that he and Portugal struggled in the first game against the DR Congo, as he expertly described in the footage on FOX.

Henry said: “One thing that is important, people please at home. The team needs to score, not you needing to score, and I will go more into detail now.

“Obviously we are seeing here now Portugal being on the ball; Conceicao is going to receive the ball, and Cristiano Ronaldo has been in this position multiple times.

“If you make that run here, you make the defender take the decision to cross the six-yard box, but because he wants to score, he goes into the path of Bruno Fernandes.

Really good analysis from Henry. This is the Ronaldo issue right now.

He's playing as a 9, but he's never been a 9 and he's not acting as a 9. Not giving Portugal those traits and it hurt them today. pic.twitter.com/yjSaOK2J5J

— Marc Geschwind (@MarcGeschwind) June 17, 2026

“If he goes in that six-yard box, Alexi, you would have had to follow him, and then it would have been a tap-in for Bruno Fernandes, but because he wants to score, he goes into the path; he goes into the back pass. You see both players, and it is easier for you to defend.

“That is why I think the team needs to score, not you. You saw the reaction of Bruno Fernandes behind.”

Roberto Martinez’s side will be confident they can progress as group winners despite this setback, as they need to play Uzbekistan and Colombia in the remaining group games.

However, whether Ronaldo is starting these next two games remains to be seen, as Martinez may opt for a tactical change by replacing him with the out-and-out striker in the shape of Goncalo Ramos to help the attacking flow of the team.