Striker issues persist as 41-year-old Ronaldo becomes Portugal's sweet dilemma: a 2-1 narrow victory conceals hidden worries

At 03:45 Beijing time on June 11, at the Dr. Magalhães Pessoa Municipal Stadium in Leiria, Portugal played their final key friendly before the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Facing African powerhouse Nigeria, Portugal managed a hard-fought 2-1 victory thanks to goals from Neto and Conceição, securing their second consecutive friendly win. However, this success could hardly mask the fatal flaws exposed in the frontline. The 41-year-old captain Cristiano Ronaldo underperformed throughout the match, missing several clear chances and earning an extremely low rating of 6.2 (the lowest among all Portuguese starters and substitutes). When the star striker was substituted again, the team immediately scored, casting doubt on Portugal's World Cup prospects.

Early pressure fails to yield results as Ronaldo misses multiple opportunities

From the start, Portugal showed a strong attacking intent, but their finishing was disappointing. Just two minutes into the match, Ronaldo fired a shot from outside the box that went high. In the 7th minute, Semedo delivered a precise through ball, and Ronaldo raced through for a one-on-one chance, but his push shot narrowly missed the post, wasting the best opportunity of the game. Later, in the 34th minute, Ronaldo's header also went wide.

Despite Ronaldo's failure to score, Portugal broke the deadlock in the 23rd minute. Dalot cut back from the left byline, and Neto calmly slotted the ball into the far bottom corner to make it 1-0. However, the lead did not last long. In the 38th minute, Nigeria launched a counterattack from a long ball, with Akor Adams holding off a defender and driving into the box to score a low shot, leveling the score at 1-1.

Forward line goes missing, substitute saves the day

After the break, Portugal's attack remained disjointed. In the 50th minute, substitute João Félix smashed a shot off the crossbar, nearly scoring a wonder goal. Just a minute later, with no one marking him inside the box, Ronaldo skied a close-range volley, leaving him with a helpless smile.

As the game progressed, Ronaldo's stamina and form deteriorated noticeably. In the 65th minute, coach Martínez replaced him with Gonçalo Ramos. Awkwardly, shortly after Ronaldo left, Portugal scored—a repetition of the scenario from the previous match. In the 75th minute, substitute youngster Francisco Conceição cut inside from the right side of the box, beat defenders, and curled a shot into the far corner to make it 2-1, securing the win.

Stark statistics make the starting lineup battle the biggest question

Throughout the match, Ronaldo took four shots without a single one on target, missed three clear-cut chances, and earned a rating of 6.2, making him the worst performer on the field by far. In contrast, Portugal as a team enjoyed 61% possession and took 13 shots, yet could only scrape a victory thanks to the flashes of brilliance from two substitutes.

This 2-1 narrow win has exposed Portugal's frontline problems under the spotlight. The 41-year-old Ronaldo remains the team's spiritual leader, but his finishing efficiency has noticeably declined. More troubling for the coaching staff is that when Ronaldo is on the pitch, the attack often stalls; when he is substituted, Portugal's offense flows more freely and quickly produces goals.

With just one week until their World Cup opener, Portugal will face the Democratic Republic of Congo at 1:00 AM Beijing time on June 18. If Ronaldo continues to start in this form, Portugal's attacking system will inevitably suffer severe constraints. The star striker's "sweet dilemma" has become a Sword of Damocles hanging over Portugal's World Cup campaign.

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