Cristiano Ronaldo's Last Major Tournament Goal for Portugal Dates to 2022 World Cup Opener

Cristiano Ronaldo has extended his goal drought in major tournaments with Portugal, failing to score again in the 2026 World Cup after his team drew with the Democratic Republic of Congo in the opening match of Group 11.

Ronaldo's scoring record in major international competitions has become a subject of intense debate, as he has now gone 10 consecutive matches without finding the net in World Cups and European Championships combined. During this period, he has taken 33 shots on goal, including 11 that hit the posts or crossbar, but none resulted in a goal.

At the 2022 World Cup, Ronaldo did not score against Uruguay, South Korea, Switzerland, or Morocco. He managed only one goal in that tournament, which came in the opening match.

His scoring struggles continued at Euro 2024, where he failed to score against the Czech Republic, Turkey, Georgia, Slovenia, and France. Portugal was eliminated in the quarterfinals after losing on penalties.

Ronaldo's goal drought persisted at the start of the 2026 World Cup against the Democratic Republic of Congo, despite starting the match and making limited attacking attempts inside the penalty area.

The last time Cristiano Ronaldo scored in a major tournament for Portugal was in the opening match of the 2022 World Cup on November 24, 2022, against Ghana. That goal remains his only one in that edition, preceding a prolonged sequence of goalless matches in major competitions.

Given this ongoing situation, Ronaldo's statistics in major tournaments have declined compared to his early career, raising increasing questions about his ability to end this scoring drought in the current World Cup.