Ronaldo is "dull" while Messi and Mbappe are brilliant.

The first round of the World Cup competitions did not smile upon the Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo. In the match where his country drew with the Democratic Republic of Congo (1-1), the captain of the Iberian team delivered a lackluster performance, struggling significantly to influence the flow of the game and make a difference in the final moments.

Ronaldo, a five-time Ballon d'Or winner, did not take advantage of his participation in the opening match of the group stage to reassure skeptics about his ability, at the age of forty-one, to maintain his attacking effectiveness as he did in the past.

Meanwhile, other stars succeeded in leaving their strong mark. Lionel Messi paved the way for Argentina's victory over Algeria after scoring a historic "hat-trick," reaffirming his value in major tournaments once again.

For his part, Kylian Mbappé shone by scoring a brace that led the "Roosters" to a convincing victory over their Senegalese counterparts at the start of their campaign in the tournament.

Against the "Leopards," Ronaldo never managed to find his usual rhythm. Given the close marking imposed on him by the Congolese defense, he rarely found himself in a position to finish the attacks that his teammates were building. Portugal was forced to settle for sharing the points in the match, leaving the calculations of Group Eleven open to all possibilities, exceeding expectations.

While this first appearance did not meet the expectations placed upon him, Cristiano Ronaldo still retains the ability to bounce back and rectify the situation. Major tournaments have always been an ideal platform for him to respond to critics, and thus, the upcoming match against Uzbekistan will be of great interest to the Portuguese team, which will be in dire need of their attacking captain's services to confirm their ambitions in this marathon World Cup.