FIFA World Cup 2026: Cristiano Ronaldo posts training pictures, says "Focused on the mission" ahead of Uzbekistan clash

Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo is gearing up for the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group stage match against Uzbekistan, sharing images of team training on X. His post, captioned "Focused on the mission," comes after a challenging opening game against DR Congo, which ended in a 1-1 draw.

In that match, the veteran striker struggled to influence the game, recording 25 touches, three shots off target, and winning only one duel. This performance marked one of his least involved World Cup games, with the second-fewest touches ever recorded in a World Cup start, highlighting his limited contribution to Portugal's attack.

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Focused on the mission

The frustration is compounded by Ronaldo's current streak of 10 consecutive major competition matches without scoring. Despite his experience, his form in major tournaments has become a growing concern.

However, Portugal defender Ruben Dias has downplayed the external chatter surrounding the captain. Describing the criticism as "noise" and "insignificant," Dias asserted that the team remains unaffected and concentrated on its goals. He emphasized that such attention is typical for Ronaldo and that the squad isolates itself from it to focus on their performance.

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It's not an issue for us. It's insignificant, just a bit of fuss and noise. It's all part of the game. First and foremost, the criticism isn't directed at just one player. Cristiano is a major focus of attention, but I think we're all in the firing line. Above all, apart from what I've just said, I don't think anything out of the ordinary is happening. It's always been like this since I've been here. I believe it will continue to be so in the future. In the end, it's noise. We isolate ourselves from it and focus on doing our thing.