Three Games, No Goals: CR7's Drought Hits at the Worst Possible Time for Portugal
Cristiano Ronaldo has not scored for the Portuguese national team since October. The goal drought arrives on the eve of Portugal's World Cup 2026 opener against Congo.
Three consecutive matches without a goal. It is Cristiano Ronaldo's worst run in a Portugal shirt in the last two years, and the timing could not be more delicate: the 2026 World Cup is just days away.
According to ge.globo.com, the No. 7's last goal for the national team came on 14 October last year, against Hungary. Since then, he played against Ireland — when he was sent off and Portugal lost 2–0 —, came on for just 45 minutes in the friendly against Chile (a 2–1 win), and on Wednesday started the friendly against Nigeria, also won 2–1, only to be substituted for Gonçalo Ramos in the 64th minute without having scored. Portugal's goals were scored by Pedro Neto and Francisco Conceição. The performance sparked a reaction on social media over the chances he wasted.
The current drought is CR7's longest for the national team since July 2024, when he went five consecutive games without a goal. After that spell, he had found impressive consistency: 13 goals in 13 games across the Nations League and the qualifiers. Now, the silence returns at the very moment Portugal faces the pressure of what could be their greatest icon's last World Cup.
The Golmetria model estimates a 4.82% chance of the title for Portugal — a figure that reflects a competitive side, but one far from the favourites. The market points to an implied probability of 7.49% for the Portuguese.
Portugal open Group K play on 17 June against the Democratic Republic of Congo in Houston. That will be the first real answer about Ronaldo's form when it truly matters.