Cristiano Ronaldo had only 5 of his 25 touches inside the penalty area during the match, and just 2 touches in the defensive half

At the 2026 World Cup group stage opener, Portugal were held to a 1–1 draw by DR Congo. In this match, 41-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo played the full 90 minutes but had only 3 shots, none on target, and just 25 touches of the ball.

Looking at his touch distribution, only 5 of those 25 touches came inside the penalty area, with most of his involvement concentrated in the middle third of the pitch. Additionally, Ronaldo recorded just 2 touches in the defensive half.

According to statistics, the 25-touch tally marks the lowest number of touches Ronaldo has recorded in a full-match appearance for Portugal in a major tournament.

In fact, throughout the match, whenever Ronaldo received the ball, he was frequently marked by multiple DR Congo players.