Cristiano Ronaldo, aged 41, is preparing for another appearance at the World Cup with Portugal, amid high expectations surrounding the national squad. In this context, his form ahead of the tournament has come under scrutiny.
Portugal played a friendly match against Chile in Lisbon, which ended in a 2–1 victory for the hosts. Ronaldo featured for 45 minutes but did not register a goal or an assist. Both of Portugal’s goals were scored after his substitution at half-time.
The match was played at the Estádio Nacional, where Ronaldo’s involvement in attacking phases was limited. He recorded 12 touches in advanced areas and entered the Chile penalty area on three occasions. He attempted three shots, with one on target, one off target, and one blocked. His most notable opportunity came in the 37th minute, when he found the net, but the goal was disallowed for offside.
Despite a subdued performance overall, Ronaldo did contribute in build-up play. In the 11th minute, he delivered a backheel pass to Rafael Leão. However, the move did not result in a goal. Shortly before half-time, Leão was shown a red card following an incident involving an altercation on the pitch. Ronaldo was substituted at the break by Portugal coach, after which Gonçalo Guedes opened the scoring in the 58th minute. Bruno Fernandes added a second goal in the 75th minute with a long-range effort.
A match report by Goal.com noted that Ronaldo’s involvement included a “clever backheel” to Leão on the left flank but described much of his performance as quiet. It also highlighted the disallowed offside goal and stated that he missed an easy opportunity due to positioning.
Goal.com rated Ronaldo’s performance 5 out of 10.
Match Performance Summary
| Category | Statistic |
|---|---|
| Match result | Portugal 2–1 Chile |
| Minutes played | 45 |
| Touches | 12 |
| Shots | 3 (1 on target, 1 off target, 1 blocked) |
| Goals | 0 |
| Assists | 0 |
| Disallowed goal | 1 (offside) |
| Rating (Goal.com) | 5/10 |
The friendly match context provides a preparatory setting for Portugal ahead of the World Cup, and a single performance is not considered conclusive regarding overall form.
Portugal will begin their World Cup campaign on 17 June against DR Congo. They are placed in Group K alongside Colombia and Uzbekistan.