Cristiano Ronaldo's career has been defined by records, trophies and goals, but one chapter of his remarkable legacy remains unfinished: scoring in the knockout stages of the FIFA World Cup.

The Portuguese forward will be looking to end a run of eight consecutive World Cup knockout matches without finding the back of the net, a surprising statistic that stands in stark contrast to his prolific scoring record at club level and in other major international competitions.

EIGHT KNOCKOUT MATCHES WITHOUT A GOAL

Since making his World Cup debut at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, Ronaldo has featured in eight knockout-stage matches—across the Round of 16, quarterfinals and semifinals—without scoring.

The streak began with Portugal's victory over the Netherlands before continuing against England and France in 2006.

It then extended through matches against Spain at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, Uruguay at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, and Switzerland, Morocco and France at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Across those eight contests, Ronaldo has logged more than 650 minutes without scoring—an unusually long drought for a striker who has netted more than 900 official goals during his career.

A RECORD STILL WAITING TO BE BROKEN

Ronaldo has scored 10 World Cup goals, all of them in the group stage, making him the first player to score in six different editions of the tournament.

Yet none of those goals has come when the stakes are highest in the knockout rounds. Ending that drought would add another milestone to an already historic career and reinforce his ability to deliver on football's biggest stage.

For Portugal, a goal from its captain would mean far more than the end of an individual streak. It could provide a crucial boost in the country's pursuit of the one major trophy that continues to elude one of the greatest players the game has ever seen.

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