For almost 20 years, Portugal's biggest soccer question usually had a pretty simple answer: Give the ball to Cristiano Ronaldo.

Maybe that's oversimplifying it a little, but not by much. When one of the greatest players in the history of the sport is wearing your shirt, most roads eventually lead back to him. That's how it worked through World Cups, Euros, qualifying campaigns, trophy runs, and countless moments that helped turn Ronaldo from a superstar into something even bigger than that.

But Portugal walked off the field after a frustrating 1-1 draw against DR Congo with a different kind of feeling hanging over them.

Not panic. Not crisis. Just questions.

The result itself wasn't disastrous. Tournament favorites drop points all the time. DR Congo deserved credit for making life difficult and refusing to disappear after falling behind early. Portugal still controlled long stretches of the match and still have every opportunity to take control of their group.

But the longer the game went, the harder it became to ignore a reality that has been quietly following this team for a while now.

Portugal has one of the deepest and most talented squads in the tournament. They have creators in midfield, dangerous wingers, young stars entering their prime, and attacking options most countries would gladly trade for. And still, when they desperately needed a breakthrough, everything seemed to circle back to a 41-year-old captain chasing one final World Cup moment.

Portugal Had The Ball, But Not The Bite

The easiest stat to grab from this match is the possession. Portugal had plenty of the ball. They completed 724 passes, the most they've ever completed in a World Cup match, while Vitinha completed 121 by himself, also a Portugal World Cup record.

Sounds impressive until you get to the part that actually matters.

Portugal finished with seven shots, 0.64 expected goals, and just one shot on target. DR Congo managed eight shots and 0.82 xG despite spending much of the afternoon without the ball.

That's the difference between controlling possession and controlling a game.

After João Neves headed in Pedro Neto's cross in the sixth minute, it felt like Portugal was setting themselves up for a comfortable afternoon. Instead, they spent most of the match moving the ball around without creating much real danger.

DR Congo deserves a ton of credit for that. They grew more confident as the match went on. By the time Yoane Wissa tied it before halftime, they already looked like a team that believed they belonged on the field.

Still, Portugal has way too much talent for this performance to be brushed aside as one of those weird tournament openers. This is a squad loaded with creativity and attacking quality.

Ronaldo Wasn’t The Only Problem, But He Was The Obvious One

Ronaldo played the full 90 minutes and had two second-half chances to win the match. Both went wide. Neither was some shocking miss, but they were the kind of opportunities Portugal expects him to finish.

Ronaldo finished with just 25 touches, the fewest of any Portugal player who played more than 45 minutes. That's where the bigger issue starts to show itself.

Ronaldo can still occupy defenders. He can still be dangerous in the box. He can still make center backs nervous whenever a cross comes in. Nobody should pretend he's suddenly useless because that's simply not true.

But when your striker barely touches the ball and the attack still feels like it's revolving around him, that's a difficult balance to try and maintain.

At times, it felt like Portugal was playing two different games. One was the actual match against DR Congo, where they needed more movement, more urgency, and more unpredictability. The other was the Ronaldo game, where every attacking opportunity felt like it got forced his way.

That's not entirely his fault. It's what happens when one of the greatest players in soccer history is chasing one final World Cup run. The crowd feels it. The cameras feel it. The team feels it.

The problem is that tournament soccer doesn't care about storylines.

Ronaldo came into this match chasing the chance to become the first player to score in six different World Cups. Instead, his major-tournament scoring drought stretched to 10 matches, his last World Cup or European Championship goal was against Ghana in 2022.

The reality is that Ronaldo isn't 28 anymore. He's not going to press the way he once did. He's not going to create separation as easily. There are still goals in him and still moments in him, but Portugal can't build their entire attacking identity around waiting for those moments.

Martínez Can’t Let Respect Become Obligation

After the draw, Martínez defended the decision to keep Ronaldo on the field, and honestly, his reasoning wasn't hard to understand.

When asked about the possibility of taking Ronaldo off, Martínez pointed to the obvious argument. If Portugal needs a goal, why would you remove one of the greatest goalscorers the sport has ever seen? He also talked about Ronaldo's experience in the box and his ability to occupy defenders.

None of that is wrong.  If you're chasing a winning goal, it's easy to see why a coach would want him out there.

The problem is that tournament soccer isn't always that simple.

Ronaldo stays on because Portugal needs someone to finish chances, but Portugal's best route to creating those chances needs more movement and flexibility up front. Martínez quickly gets stuck in a difficult loop.

That's where players like Gonçalo Ramos, Rafael Leão, Pedro Neto, and Francisco Conceição become part of the conversation. Portugal isn't lacking attacking options. What they sometimes lack is variety.

Against DR Congo, some of Portugal's most dangerous moments came when they played with pace instead of patiently waiting for the perfect opening. Neto's cross created the early goal. Conceição's energy changed the rhythm when he came on.

If Portugal's going to make a serious run in this tournament, Martínez has to be willing to make decisions based on what the game needs, not what Ronaldo's legacy deserves. Those aren't always going to be the same thing.

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