Double scorer against Uzbekistan in the group stage, and scorer of Portugal’s equalizing penalty against Croatia in 16e final, Cristiano Ronaldo has already found the fault three times in this 2026 World Cup. This before a shock eighth to manage against Spain this Monday evening.
On paper, the bet of coach Roberto Martinez, who is determined to reserve a starting place for the 41-year-old striker, may therefore appear to be a winner. Yet in the game, CR7 is far from having its past influence. Witness a particularly telling statistic…
Since the start of the tournament, four matches and more than 350 minutes spent on the pitch, Cristiano Ronaldo has not completed a single dribble. Worse still, the five-time Ballon d’Or did not even attempt a single one. A shame for a player who notably built his legend on his dazzling performances with the ball.
The Cape Verdean goalkeeper did better…
Where the observation becomes humiliating for the spearhead of the Selecçao is when the data recorded and validated by FIFA show that the last rampart of Cape Verde – the now famous Vozinha – does better than the icon on this point. The goalkeeper shows on the clock a completed dribble made on Friday against Argentina at the expense of Lautaro Martinez.
In the game of comparisons, the “haters” will also note that Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo’s great rival in front of the eternal, has successfully completed five dribbles since the launch of the World Cup. With a conversion rate of 45.5%. Not to mention the seven achievements already accumulated by the Albiceleste captain.
