Henry criticizes Ronaldo after Portugal's draw in World Cup qualifier

Thierry Henry has criticized Cristiano Ronaldo following Portugal's 1-1 draw with the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2026 World Cup qualifying, saying the team should be scoring goals rather than one individual carrying that burden. Speaking as an analyst on Fox TV, the former France striker said Ronaldo opted to shoot instead of passing to teammate Bruno Fernandes, who was in a clear position, and that the 41-year-old forward closed off Fernandes' run into the penalty area. Ronaldo managed three shots in the match, none of which found the target. Former Premier League champion Chris Sutton told the BBC that Portugal's coach appeared reluctant to substitute Ronaldo even as the player struggled to influence the game while waiting for a potential winning goal. Ronaldo has now played in six World Cup tournaments, scoring eight goals in total. Apart from his four goals in 2018, he has failed to score more than once in any single edition of the tournament.