Democratic Republic of Congo midfielder Ngal Ayel Mukau has offered a candid assessment of Cristiano Ronaldo following the Leopards’ historic 1-1 draw against Portugal at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Mukau, who helped DR Congo secure a memorable point in Houston on their first World Cup appearance in 52 years, suggested that Portugal’s captain is no longer capable of influencing matches in the same way he once did during his peak years.
The Lille midfielder was responding to questions about whether DR Congo had devised a specific tactical plan to stop Ronaldo during the Group K encounter.
“Not really,” Mukau said.
“We know that he’s no longer the same player as before and that he’s older now.”
The 41-year-old Ronaldo entered the tournament chasing one final opportunity to win the World Cup, the only major honour missing from his glittering career. However, he was unable to find the breakthrough as DR Congo’s disciplined defensive display frustrated Portugal throughout the contest.
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Mukau acknowledged that age has inevitably altered Ronaldo’s game, although he was careful to stress that his comments should not be interpreted as disrespect.
“At Ronaldo’s age now, he can’t provide the same level of effort anymore, but I have a tremendous amount of respect for him,” he added.
The Congolese international went on to describe Ronaldo as one of football’s all time greats despite insisting that the Portuguese superstar is no longer the unstoppable force who dominated world football for much of the last two decades.
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His remarks come after DR Congo produced one of the biggest surprises of the opening round of World Cup fixtures. Portugal took an early lead through João Neves, but Yoane Wissa’s equaliser shortly before half-time earned the Leopards a famous draw and their first-ever World Cup goal.
The result is a remarkable turnaround for a nation whose previous World Cup appearance came in 1974 when they competed as Zaire and lost all three matches without scoring.
