Ronaldo's starting spot for Portugal's second group-stage match remains uncertain
![Cristiano Ronaldo [Getty Images]](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2026/06/23/news-p.v1.20260623.7dd4cb15d6e34aa48a3c25c06194be3b_P1.jpg)
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have long been paired as the sport's greatest rivalry, but the two superstars are heading in starkly different directions at the 2026 North America World Cup.
While Messi is rewriting football history on the World Cup stage, Ronaldo was held scoreless in Portugal's opening match — leaving his pride bruised and his starting role for the second group game in doubt. Portugal coach Roberto Martinez declined to confirm whether Ronaldo would start against Uzbekistan.
Martinez, speaking Tuesday Korean Standard Time, told reporters he could not say whether Ronaldo would start the upcoming match against Uzbekistan. "I haven't even told the players the starting lineup yet," he said, according to Yonhap News Agency.
Messi, by contrast, has scored five goals in just two matches at this tournament, lifting his World Cup career total to 18 — the most in history.
Ronaldo, too, has a record in his sights: becoming the first player ever to score at six consecutive World Cups. But in Portugal's opener against the Democratic Republic of Congo — Portugal ranked fifth in the world, Congo 46th — he touched the ball just 25 times and failed to find the net.
Ronaldo also squandered a string of clear scoring chances in the second half, and Martinez's decision to leave him on for the full 90 minutes drew criticism from commentators and fans alike. Playing as the lone striker in a 4-2-3-1 formation, Ronaldo managed only three shots with none on target. The comparison with Messi, who had recorded a hat trick the previous day, was unavoidable.
Ronaldo scored from the penalty spot in Portugal's first group match at the 2022 Qatar World Cup, becoming the first player to score at five consecutive World Cups. Since then, however, he has gone five straight World Cup matches without a goal — four at the 2022 tournament and one at this edition. His World Cup career tally stands at eight goals and two assists, a figure that invites yet another comparison with Messi, who has now taken outright first on the all-time scoring list with 18 goals.
Still, at 41 years and 132 days old, Ronaldo did set one record: the oldest outfield player ever to start a World Cup match.
Martinez, whose side drew the opener, sought perspective in football history. "These things happen at a World Cup," he said. "Argentina lost their first game to Saudi Arabia at the 2022 tournament and went on to win it. Spain lost to Switzerland in 2010 and became champions. Those performances may not have looked like championship-winning football, but they were part of the process."
Martinez also came to Ronaldo's defense. "There is no point in taking the greatest scorer in the history of world football off the pitch when you need goals," he said.
'When the pressure rises, you'll see who the true champions are'
Ronaldo had projected confidence ahead of Portugal's group-stage campaign at the North America World Cup.
According to ESPN and other US sports outlets, Ronaldo flew with the squad to Palm Beach, Florida, on June 12 local time, where Portugal had set up their training camp. Meeting with reporters there, he pushed back against concerns about his age and fitness. "I'm feeling very good physically," he said. "Haven't you watched my games?"
"We've trained hard, so I'm tired, but it's been a great preparation," Ronaldo said. "In the friendlies we were dominant and had the upper hand, but what matters most is when the real ball starts rolling in the first match. When the pressure truly rises — that's when you'll see who the true champions are."
Portugal are perennial contenders on the world stage but have yet to win a men's World Cup title.
yul@heraldcorp.com
