World Cup: Ex-Liverpool Icon Delivers Harsh Verdict On Ronaldo

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Former Liverpool defender Alan Hansen has criticised Cristiano Ronaldo’s performances at the 2026 FIFA World Cup following Portugal’s goalless draw against Colombia on Saturday, June 27, in Miami.

Ronaldo, now 41, has experienced a mixed tournament so far as Portugal finished second in their group.

The veteran forward endured a difficult opening match against DR Congo, which ended in a 1-1 draw. During the encounter, he registered two shots off target and managed only 25 touches throughout the game.

He bounced back in Portugal’s next outing against Uzbekistan, scoring twice in a convincing 5-0 victory. The performance saw him become the first player to score in six different World Cups and also the oldest player to register a brace in the competition.

However, the Al-Nassr captain struggled to influence the match against Colombia. According to ESPN statistics, Ronaldo recorded only two touches inside the opposition box, managed one shot on target from three attempts, lost possession eight times and was flagged offside on two occasions.

Speaking during a post-match discussion on ESPN Podcasts, Hansen questioned the Portuguese star’s effectiveness and highlighted what he described as a decline in his pace.

He said, “In this World Cup, he has been offside more times than I can remember because he knows he needs to get a quick headstart on the defenders because he doesn’t have the pace, so he’s running offside.

“And then he ends up in a wide area … because he’s not beaten anybody, he can’t go past anybody, so the only place he has to be is in the penalty box, but even then he’s pretty much invisible.”

Ronaldo and Portugal will now turn their attention to a crucial Round of 32 encounter against 2018 World Cup finalists Croatia, with the fixture scheduled to take place in Toronto on Thursday, July 2.

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