Ronaldo Targets First-Ever World Cup Knockout Goal Against Croatia

Cristiano Ronaldo will be aiming to end one of the few remaining blemishes on his glittering career when Portugal face Croatia in the Round of 32 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Thursday.

TVC News Online earlier reported that the Portugal captain became the first player to score in six different World Cup editions after netting against Uzbekistan during the group stage. However, despite scoring 10 World Cup goals across six tournaments, the 41-year-old has never found the net in a knockout match.

Ronaldo, widely regarded as one of football’s greatest goalscorers, has delivered consistently in the group stages but has repeatedly drawn blanks once Portugal reached the knockout rounds.

2006: Breakthrough in Germany

Ronaldo announced himself on the World Cup stage in Germany by becoming Portugal’s youngest-ever World Cup scorer after converting a penalty against Iran in the group stage.

At just 21, he was still playing primarily as a winger rather than the prolific striker he would later become. Portugal reached the semi-finals, but Ronaldo failed to score in any of their four knockout matches.

In a report by GOAL, his tournament was overshadowed by controversy after Wayne Rooney’s red card against Portugal in the quarter-finals.

“I saw him going over to the referee and giving him the card and I think he was bang out of order,” England midfielder Steven Gerrard said. “If he were one of my team-mates, I would be absolutely disgusted with him. After Wayne was sent off, [Ronaldo] winked at his bench and his team-mates and that just about sums him up as a person.”

Frank Lampard also criticised Ronaldo’s actions.

“He’s supposed to be a team-mate of Wayne’s at Manchester United and he does something like that. It’s not nice, is it? We were told that anyone who tried to get someone else a yellow or red card would get a yellow but it just hasn’t happened.”

Although Ronaldo defended himself, FIFA’s technical study group later admitted sportsmanship influenced their decision to award Lukas Podolski the tournament’s Best Young Player prize.

“We want to have decent behaviour and I admit we were critical of this,” Holger Osieck said. “Players should be role models and fair play is a consideration.”

2010: Painful Exit

By South Africa 2010, Ronaldo had become Portugal’s captain and talisman.

His only goal came in a 7-0 victory over North Korea before Portugal were eliminated 1-0 by eventual champions Spain in the Round of 16.

“I feel completely disconsolate, frustrated and an unimaginable sadness,” Ronaldo admitted after the defeat.

He later faced criticism after television cameras captured him saying, “How can I explain [this defeat]? Ask that question of Carlos Queiroz.”

Ronaldo later clarified his comments.

“When I said, ‘Put the question to the coach’, it was just because Carlos Queiroz was holding a press conference. I am a human being, and like any human being I suffer and I have the right to suffer alone. I know that I am the captain, and I have always assumed and will assume my responsibilities.”

Queiroz responded by saying:

“Portugal needs Ronaldo, and Ronaldo needs the national side. But if this shirt unnerves some players, they have no grounds to be there.”

Read Also: Cristiano Ronaldo completes Manchester United return

2014: Injury-Hit Campaign

Ronaldo entered Brazil 2014 carrying fitness concerns despite insisting he was “100 percent fit.”

Portugal endured a disappointing group-stage exit after finishing behind Germany and the United States.

Although Ronaldo scored the winner against Ghana and assisted Silvestre Varela’s late equaliser against the United States, Portugal failed to reach the knockout rounds.

Coach Paulo Bento defended his captain.

“I don’t think it’s fair to make things individual,” Bento said. “We made a set of mistakes throughout the tournament during three different matches and that’s what penalised us. I shall never hold any individual responsible for this. The responsibility for failing to reach our goal is mine. The players tried to play the roles they had been assigned.

“Cristiano is usually really effective, but suddenly he couldn’t do it. But I’m not going to deem one player responsible.”

2018: Early Promise Ends in Disappointment

Ronaldo enjoyed one of the greatest starts to a World Cup campaign by scoring a memorable hat-trick against Spain in Portugal’s opening match.

“I’m very happy, it is a personal best, one more in my career but the most important thing is to highlight what the team has done,” Ronaldo said. “We have played one of the favourite teams to win the World Cup, we have been winning twice and drew, and I think it was a fair result. The team is doing very well and we are going to do well for sure.”

However, Portugal were eliminated 2-1 by Uruguay in the Round of 16, with Ronaldo again failing to score or provide an assist in a knockout game.

Following the defeat, he remained uncertain about his international future.

“I reckon it is not the right time to talk about it,” Ronaldo told FIFA, “but I am sure that our national team will continue to be one of the best in the world, with awesome players, a fantastic group, and young as well. It’s a group that has a big ambition to triumph and that is why I am happy about everything.”

2022: Benched in Qatar

The Qatar World Cup proved another frustrating chapter.

Ronaldo scored only once — from the penalty spot against Ghana — before being dropped for Portugal’s Round of 16 victory over Switzerland, where replacement Goncalo Ramos scored a hat-trick.

Following Portugal’s quarter-final defeat to Morocco, Ronaldo denied reports he had considered leaving the squad.

“I just want everybody to know that a lot has been said, a lot has been written, a lot has been speculated about, but my dedication to Portugal has never wavered for an instant,” Ronaldo wrote. “I was always just one more player fighting for everyone’s goal and I would never turn my back on my team-mates and my country.

“For now, there’s not much more to say. Thank you, Portugal. Thank you, Qatar… Now, we have to let time be a good adviser and allow everyone to draw their own conclusions.”

He also reflected on seeing his World Cup dream slip away.

“To win a World Cup for Portugal was the biggest and most ambitious dream of my career. In my five appearances at World Cups over 16 years, always playing alongside great players and supported by millions of Portuguese, I have given my all. I left everything I had on the pitch. I’ll never shrink from a battle and I have never given up on that dream. Unfortunately, that dream ended yesterday.”

2026: Chance to Make History

Ronaldo has once again entered the knockout rounds after helping Portugal qualify despite mixed performances in the group stage.

After scoring twice against Uzbekistan, he declared to television cameras:

“I’m back! I’m back!”

However, Portugal were held by Colombia and finished second in Group K, setting up a difficult Round of 32 clash with Croatia.

Should Ronaldo score in Toronto, he will finally end his long wait for a first World Cup knockout goal and remove one of the last statistical gaps in an extraordinary international career.