Ronaldo misfires as Portugal scrape past Nigeria in final warm-up

Portugal closed their 2026 World Cup preparations in Leiria with a narrow 2-1 win over Nigeria, but the evening belonged to Cristiano Ronaldo's frustrations. The 41-year-old looked short of his usual edge, spurning several clear chances and appearing visibly angry during his 65 minutes on the pitch, leaving fans and pundits to question his role as the undisputed starter.

His first big opening came in the ninth minute when he latched onto a Nelson Semedo through ball and dragged the effort wide, then thumped the rebounding ball away in frustration. He later miskicked from around the penalty spot, ballooning a left-footed strike high into the stands.

Roberto Martinez defended the approach, explaining the workload for his captain was intentional as part of a fitness plan. Martinez made eight changes at the interval and noted: "The plan we had for Cristiano, based on the information available to us, was for him to play either 45 or 60 minutes," adding that the coaching staff wanted a team capable of finishing matches stronger.

Portugal, Leiria

cristiano ronaldo, portugal, nigeria, leiria, world cup, nelson semedo, roberto martinez, fitness plan, missed chances, warm-up match