Ronaldo left trailing as Mbappe, Haaland and Messi steal the World Cup 2026 show

Three of football’s greatest names lit up the 2026 World Cup in the space of 24 hours. Then Cristiano Ronaldo had his turn — and squandered it. Portugal’s shock draw with DR Congo has set the superstar debate ablaze, while his rivals continue to rewrite the history books.

Mbappe, Haaland and Messi: Three superstars, one unforgettable Tuesday

Kylian Mbappe scored twice against Senegal to become France’s all-time leading scorer. Hours later, Erling Haaland marked his World Cup debut with a brace against Iraq. Then Lionel Messi went one better — a hat-trick against Algeria moved him level with Germany’s Miroslav Klose on 16 World Cup goals, equalling the all-time record in tournament history.

Three performances. Three history-making moments. One extraordinary Tuesday at the 2026 World Cup. For England fans who have watched their own stars struggle to deliver on the biggest stages, it was a sobering reminder of what elite can look like when it fires at full force.

Mbappe’s goals were a statement of intent. At 27, playing with a cold precision that felt almost mechanical, he looked like a man who has decided this is his time. Haaland, meanwhile, arrived at his first World Cup as if the occasion held no weight at all — two goals, no fuss, Norway in business.

Ronaldo’s nightmare: Portugal held by DR Congo

Wednesday should have been Cristiano Ronaldo’s moment. Instead, Portugal’s captain missed two clear second-half chances and his side were held to a shock draw by DR Congo. At 41 — in what is almost certainly his final World Cup — CR7 could not deliver when it mattered most.

The missed opportunities were not marginal. They were the kind of chances Ronaldo would have buried without thinking five years ago. The body language afterwards said everything: head down, hands on hips, the weight of an entire career pressing down on him.

It is a brutal contrast. Messi, three years his junior, is still producing hat-tricks. Mbappe, fourteen years younger, is breaking all-time records. And Ronaldo, the most-followed person on the planet, could not find the net against one of the tournament’s least fancied sides.

Scared to take him off — the Ronaldo dilemma facing Martinez

Portugal manager Roberto Martinez’s post-match admission was one of the most revealing quotes of the tournament so far. Scared to take him off — not tactically committed, not managing momentum, but scared. It reflects the unique and somewhat paralysing grip that Ronaldo holds over his own national team, even as his performances decline.

The dilemma is real and it has no clean answer. Substitute Ronaldo and risk the psychological fallout inside the squad, the symbolic damage to a player who has defined Portuguese football for two decades, and the inevitable media storm. Keep him on and risk more missed chances costing Portugal points they cannot afford to drop.

Martinez will need to find an answer before Portugal’s next group game. The draw against DR Congo means the margin for error has already shrunk — and it will shrink further if results do not improve.

What does Portugal’s stumble mean for World Cup 2026?

Portugal are far from out. A draw in game one is uncomfortable, not fatal. Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva and Rafael Leao give them the quality to win their remaining group games — if the tactical setup allows those players to influence proceedings rather than everything running through an out-of-form Ronaldo.

For England fans watching the group stage unfold, there is a familiar tension here. The question of when to move on from a legendary figure — whether in the dugout or on the pitch — is one English football has wrestled with repeatedly. Portugal are living that question in real time, under World Cup pressure.

For the tournament itself, this story is compelling viewing. Messi, Mbappe and Haaland on one side of the ledger. Ronaldo struggling on the other. The 2026 World Cup has found its central narrative — and the most dramatic chapters are still to come.

FAQ