Henry to Ronaldo: The Team Must Score, Not You

Frenchman Thierry Henry criticized Cristiano Ronaldo's performance after Portugal's 1-1 draw with the Democratic Republic of the Congo in their opening match of the 2026 World Cup, considering the veteran striker's desire to score negatively impacted the team.

Henry said during his analysis of the match: "There is something important, I hope everyone at home understands: the team is the one that needs to score, not you."

He added, explaining one of the plays involving Ronaldo: "If he made that run towards the six-yard box, it would force the defender to make a decision, and Bruno Fernandes could have easily scored."

Henry continued criticizing Ronaldo's movement: "But because he wants to score, he went into Bruno Fernandes' path. This made it easier for the defenders to handle the attack."

Henry considered that Ronaldo's positioning in that play deprived Portugal of a better scoring opportunity, pointing out that the collective interest should be above the individual desire to hit the net.