Cristiano Ronaldo Snubbed for FIFA World Cup Best Group Stage Goal

Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal return to action on Thursday looking to make a deeper run at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after finishing second in Group K to qualify for the Round of 32. Roberto Martinez’s side will face Croatia at Toronto Stadium in Toronto, Canada, after ending the group stage with four points.

Portugal will also be hoping for a sharper performance than it produced in its scoreless draw against Colombia.

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Ronaldo endured an up-and-down group stage: the 41-year-old struggled in Portugal’s opening 1-1 draw against DR Congo. He responded with a vintage display against Uzbekistan, scoring a first-half brace in a 5-0 victory However, he was unable to carry that form into the final group match as Colombia largely kept him quiet.

As Ronaldo prepares for the knockout rounds, he received some disappointing news away from the pitch.

FIFA released its shortlist for the best goal of the World Cup group stage, and neither of Ronaldo’s strikes against Uzbekistan made the final cut.

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Among the goals nominated were Lionel Messi’s first-half finish against Algeria, Kylian Mbappe’s stunning strike against Senegal, Ismael Saibari’s lob against Brazil, Giovanni Reyna’s goal for the United States against Paraguay, Vinicius Junior’s equalizer against Morocco, and Wilson Isidor’s finish against Haiti.