Cristiano Ronaldo may have already lost some ground in the “Greatest of All Time” debate early in the 2026 Fifa World Cup. The Portuguese captain failed to find the net during his side’s 1-1 draw against DR Congo at Houston Stadium on Wednesday night.
Ronaldo played the full 90 minutes, but was unable to regain the lead for Portugal after Yoane Wissa equalised for Congo on the stroke of half-time, canceling out an early opener from Joao Neves.
The 41-year-old talisman will likely be frustrated by both the result and his personal performance. His relative ineffectiveness has shifted the spotlight toward his long-time rival, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé.
Both superstars opened their respective campaigns in commanding fashion: Messi netted a hat-trick in Argentina’s 3-0 victory over Algeria, while Mbappé scored a brace in France’s 3-0 win against Senegal.
The scoring spree also saw both men etch their names into the record books. Messi is now the joint all-time top goalscorer in World Cup history, tying Miroslav Klose with 16 goals. Mbappé, meanwhile, sits just two goals behind the pair, currently fourth on the all-time list.
To compound matters, both Messi and Mbappé are already world champions, having led their nations to glory in 2022 and 2018, respectively. In contrast, Ronaldo’s best World Cup finish remains a semi-final appearance during his debut tournament two decades ago in 2006.
Given that winning the World Cup is widely considered the pinnacle of a player’s career, a pertinent question persists: Does Ronaldo deserve to remain at the center of the “GOAT” debate if he finishes his career without a world title?
Of course, it remains early days, as Portugal has only played one match. However, the pressure will be on Ronaldo to find the back of the net when they face Uzbekistan on Tuesday and add to his career tally of eight goals in the tournament.
