New Delhi, Jun 18: Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the greatest of all time, has the criticism brigade after him after Portugal earned a drab draw against DR Congo in their FIFA World Cup 2026 opening match on Wednesday.
Ronaldo, at the age of 41, has been given the role of leading the attack for Portugal. In his opening World Cup 2026 match, however, the man who has scored a record 143 international goals looked a shadow of himself.
One game was enough for pundits and fans to question even his selection to the team. However, as Ronaldo finds himself cornered by intense criticism, it is time to remember what Virat Kohli, a man who has also sailed in a similar boat to Ronaldo in the last couple of years of his career, said, or rather warned the world about, three years ago.
Ronaldo featured for Riyadh All-Stars, consisting of players from both Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr, against a Paris Saint-Germain team that featured the likes of Lionel Messi, Neymar Jr. and Kylian Mbappé. Ronaldo’s side ended up winning the match 4-3, with the Portuguese stalwart scoring twice. It was then that Kohli warned the world against undermining Ronaldo, even at this stage of his career.
“Still doing it at the highest level at 38. The football experts sitting and criticising him every week for attention are conveniently quiet now that he’s put in this kind of performance against one of the top clubs in the world. And he was apparently finished,” said Kohli, who has time and again spoken of his admiration for Ronaldo, on social media.
There’s no denying that Ronaldo isn’t the man he used to be – the forward who terrorised opponents during his time at Manchester United, Real Madrid, or even Juventus.
But many are still overlooking the fact that he scored 28 goals in 30 appearances for Al-Nassr in the 2025-26 season.
What he is lacking at the moment isn’t the ability to lead the attack for Portugal, but rather cohesion with his teammates, who play in faster, more challenging leagues than Ronaldo.
There is nothing wrong with raising questions and criticising him, but ridiculing a player of the stature of Ronaldo, who is single-handedly responsible for some of the brightest moments in football history, is where a line needs to be drawn.
When Ronaldo’s Portugal was eliminated from the World Cup in Qatar in 2022, Kohli spoke of his admiration for the iconic forward yet another time. His words still resonate with the football fraternity who know and accept what Ronaldo has gone on to achieve in his career.
“No trophy or any title can take anything away from what you’ve done in this sport and for sports fans around the world.
No title can explain the impact you’ve had on people and what I and so many around the world feel when we watch you play. That’s a gift from god.
“A real blessing to a man who plays his heart out every single time and is the epitome of hard work and dedication and a true inspiration for any sportsperson. You are for me the greatest of all time,” Kohli had written on Twitter.
What Next For Ronaldo?
As the world looks to comprehend what’s next for Ronaldo in the Portugal shirt, as he is expected to quit international duty after the World Cup concludes, the message is hidden in what Kohli said about Ronaldo back in 2019. Not a lot has changed as far as Ronaldo’s work ethic is concerned since that period, even seven years later.
“For me, Cristiano is above everyone else. His commitment and work ethic are unmatched. He wants it that bad – you can see it every game. I support every club at which he plays. He inspires me,” Kohli had told FIFA.com during a T20 series against the West Indies.
Every setback that Ronaldo faces in his career pushes him to change, to reinvent himself, and to prove people wrong.
As Portugal look to bounce back in their remaining group-stage games of the World Cup, expect nothing but an absolute top effort by Ronaldo.
Ronaldo might have Messi as his top rival, but it’s Kohli whose behaviour, ambition, and sheer will to get better mirror the Portuguese the most, though in an alternate sport.
Just as Kohli has silenced critics to make the No. 3 spot in India’s ODI team his own, expect Ronaldo to turn heads with his performances in the coming games.
