Despite being one of the most prolific strikers in history, Cristiano Ronaldo showed a poor performance on Wednesday to start his sixth World Cup against DR Congo (1-1), reigniting the debate about his usefulness for Portugal at 41 years old.

Invisible and silent for 90 minutes, Cristiano Ronaldo suffered in Houston from the contrast with the other football stars who lit up the first matches of the World Cup, with a brace like Kylian Mbappé and Harry Kane, and even a hat trick for his eternal rival Lionel Messi, also on the attack for his sixth World Cup.

"We didn't lack anything. That's football, Portugal could have won but also lost," Ronaldo said after a match that was also disappointing on a collective level.

The problem is not new for the five-time Ballon d'Or winner with 143 goals in 229 appearances: he has gone ten matches and 33 shots without scoring in major competitions, since his only penalty goal against Ghana in the opening of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, before being eliminated in the quarter-finals.

The Seleção captain, who won Euro 2016, has a World Cup result as his best result, a semi-final loss to France in his first participation in 2006.

At 41 years old, and having joined Al-Nassr and the rich Saudi league at the beginning of 2023, is the second oldest player in the tournament still up to scratch, even having long ago changed from a supersonic winger to a less mobile number 9?

- "The team, not the individual" -

Against DR Congo, number 7 touched the ball around twenty times, had three shots, without hitting the target, and seemed disconnected from the Portuguese collective, despite being equipped with excellent playmakers (Joao Neves, Bruno Fernandes, Vitinha...).

"It's the team that needs to score, not the individual," quipped Thierry Henry, a consultant for the American broadcaster Fox.

The former star striker for Les Bleus cited Ronaldo's off-target shot in the 68th minute as an example: Francisco Conceicao made a run down the right wing, and Ronaldo, instead of diving towards goal and drawing defenders away, retreated and blocked the path of the pass intended for Bruno Fernandes. "Run and create space!" Henry urged him.

Despite the criticism, which is not new, CR7 remains an undisputed starter in the eyes of coach Roberto Martinez, who kept him on the pitch until the final whistle.

- "Irreplaceable" -

"In a match like this where we have difficulty getting into the box, we have to take advantage of Ronaldo's qualities. It would make no sense to take off the best goalscorer in history in a match where you need to score," the coach defended.

"Cristiano's experience in the box is important, as is the way he draws defenders," added the man who described the captain as "irreplaceable" earlier this month to The Athletic.

You can't tear down an idol so easily.

While Gonçalo Ramos waits his turn on the bench, as is his custom with Paris SG, a possible adjustment from Martinez will be scrutinized before the next match on Tuesday against Uzbekistan.

With one point, Portugal is not yet in danger, but will have to accelerate to create a potential champion dynamic, by finding a collective solution, rather than a lone hero.

On his Instagram account, Ronaldo sent a motivational message to his 666 million followers: "It wasn't the start we wanted, but it's far from over. Heads up, let's already think about the next match."