For the first time since the start of the FIFA World Cup 2026, Cristiano Ronaldo was subbed off during a match as Portugal manager Roberto Martinez looked for fresh legs in the middle of a stalemate with Croatia. Ronaldo opened the scoring for Portugal after defender Renato Veiga earned a penalty in the second half. Ronaldo, who hadn’t had a single touch in Croatia’s penalty box all game, finally had the opportunity to make his inclusion in the starting XI count. As expected, Ronaldo didn’t miss from the spot, scoring his first-ever goal in the FIFA World Cup knockouts.
However, Ronaldo’s lacklustre performance in the game remained a major talking point. The 41-year-old, playing in his sixth World Cup, scored a brace for Portugal against Uzbekistan in a match that Portugal won 5-0. Yet, barring that game, Ronaldo’s performances on the pitch have been poor. He was blamed for Portugal’s twin draws in the group stage of the tournament against DR Congo and Colombia. Before being subbed off against Croatia in the 81st minute, Ronaldo had registered only one touch in the opposition team’s penalty box-which was the 68th-minute strike he converted from the spot.
1 – Cristiano Ronaldo’s penalty against Croatia was his only touch inside the opposition box in his 81 minutes spent on the pitch.
It was also his first-ever goal in the knockout stages of the World Cup.
Breakthrough. pic.twitter.com/Tp8PrO9rp5
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) July 3, 2026
For a team like Portugal, who arguably possess one of the finest midfields in the World Cup, having a striker who is not on the same wavelength as his teammates and not operating on the same frequency is a huge concern. It was this worry that prompted Martinez to sub him off in the 81st minute for Ruben Neves. The tactical change shifted Goncalo Ramos into Ronaldo’s central role, while Neves took a spot in the centre of the midfield.
What happened moments later was Ramos rising above the Croatian defenders to head home the winner for his team in stoppage time. The Paris Saint-Germain striker, who is set to join AC Milan in the summer, did exactly what Ronaldo was unable to do, and needed only minutes to pull it off.
With Portugal now scheduled to take on reigning European champions Spain in the Round of 16, it is vital for Martinez to have the right man leading the attack. What makes Ramos a better pick over Ronaldo is the fact that he averages a goal or assist every 37 minutes at the World Cup. This is the best ratio of any Portuguese player to record five or more goal contributions in the history of the tournament.
Ronaldo might have converted a penalty for Portugal, but statistics suggest that he is becoming a liability for the team. In Ramos, the Selecao have a more dynamic, in-form striker. But the question remains: will Martinez dare to make that call?
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