Portugal have 10 men and a monument

PETALING JAYA: For nearly two decades, football’s greatest rivalry followed a familiar script. Lionel Messi produced something remarkable. Cristiano Ronaldo responded.

This World Cup opened with a different story.

Messi tore through Algeria and delivered a hattrick that showcased his enduring genius. A day later, Ronaldo stepped onto the same stage and highlighted a far less comfortable truth.

Time catches everyone.

Portugal’s 1-1 draw with the Democratic Republic of Congo should not trigger alarm after one group match. The performance, however, should raise serious questions.

One of the tournament’s favourites looked like a team trying to force yesterday’s solution onto today’s game.

Ronaldo barely influenced the contest.

Portugal controlled possession, dictated territory and spent long stretches camped inside the Congolese half. Yet they generated little threat.

Their attacks lacked pace and variation. Too often, promising moves slowed down as players searched for their captain rather than the best option.

The contrast with Messi’s display 24 hours earlier could hardly have looked sharper.

At 41, Ronaldo no longer possesses the weapons that once terrified defenders. He cannot burst away from opponents at will.

He no longer leads the press. He rarely drags defenders out of shape with constant movement.

None of that diminishes his legacy. Every great player eventually loses a step. The smartest teams recognise that reality and adapt.

Portugal seem determined to resist it.

The numbers backed up the eye test. Ronaldo managed just 25 touches, the fewest among Portugal’s outfield players who stayed on the pitch for the full match.

He failed to register a shot on target. More importantly, he rarely imposed himself on the game.

Portugal dominated the ball but never controlled the occasion.

Several attacks summed up the problem. Teammates looked for Ronaldo even when cleaner opportunities existed elsewhere.

Francisco Conceicao twice searched for his skipper when a shot offered the simpler solution.

The pattern felt familiar: Portugal carried the ball forward, reached dangerous areas and then hesitated.

Great players attract trust. Ronaldo has earned more trust than almost anyone in football history.

Yet trust can become dependency.

The bigger problem sits on the bench

The most important question concerns the head coach Roberto Martinez.

Ronaldo’s job involves competing, demanding the ball and believing he can still decide matches. No elite athlete reaches the top without that mindset.

Martinez carries a different responsibility. He must make the hard decisions but against Congo, he refused.

Bernardo Silva, Pedro Neto and Vitinha left the field. Ronaldo stayed.

As Portugal chased a winner, Martinez injected fresh legs around his captain but never considered removing the one attacker who struggled most to influence events.

That decision revealed far more than the result.

Had another striker produced the same display, Martinez would almost certainly have made a change. Instead, Portugal continued to play as though a decisive Ronaldo moment waited around the next corner.

World Cups do not reward sentiment. They reward clear thinking.

Portugal needed movement. They needed runners. They needed players willing to attack space and unsettle defenders.

The introduction of Conceicao and Rafael Leao added urgency, yet the structure still revolved around a centre-forward who could no longer stretch the game.

That should worry Portuguese supporters far more than the draw itself.

The group stage offers room for recovery. The knockout rounds do not.

Portugal possess enough talent to challenge anyone in the tournament. Bruno Fernandes can unlock defences. Bernardo Silva can dictate rhythm. Joao Neves and Vitinha can control midfield. Leao and Conceicao can inject speed and unpredictability.

Few squads match that collection of talent.

Yet talent alone cannot solve a problem that the coaching staff refuse to address.

Ronaldo may still score in this World Cup. Few players punish doubt more ruthlessly. A single goal could change the conversation overnight.

But Portugal cannot build their entire campaign around that possibility.

The real concern after Houston is not that Ronaldo looked every bit of 41 but that Portugal still look afraid to act as though he is.