Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- Day ten of the 2026 World Cup has seen several high-profile players fail to deliver on the biggest stage.
- Portugal's attack produced their lowest shot total ever in a World Cup match, while one Spanish striker made World Cup history for an unusual reason.
- Two other names near the top of the disappointment list face critical matches to revive their tournaments — and possibly their careers.
We've reached day 10 at the 2026 World Cup and, so far, many of the marquee players have come to the part. Harry Kane, Erling Braut Håland, Kylian Mbappé, Folarin Balogun and Matheus Cunha have all bagged braces, with Jonathan David, oh and some guy called Lionel Messi, going one better with hat tricks.
However, what about on the opposite side of the equation? Which players are yet to show their best, desperate to change that in upcoming matches? We've picked out the top five who fall into this category.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal
The player most people were talking about for his underwhelming performance during the first round of group stage fixtures was of course Cristiano Ronaldo. Despite taking the lead inside six minutes, Portugal were held to a turgid 1-1 draw by DR Congo in Houston on Wednesday. More than just the result, Roberto Martínez's team put in a terrible performance. They struggled to create anything and mustered a miserly seven shots, Portugal's lowest tally in any World Cup game ever, despite needing a goal throughout the entire second 45.
As is to be expected, Ronaldo shouldered much of the blame, which is probably somewhat unfair despite the fact that he did not have a good day. The 41-year-old touched the ball just 25 times, the fewest of any player on any team to complete 90 minutes during the first round of group games. All three of his shots missed the target, with Ronaldo having now scored just one goal across his last 12 appearances at World Cups and Euros — and that one was a penalty, We know that Martínez isn't going to drop Ronaldo, so he simply needs to offer more, starting against Uzbekistan in Texas on Tuesday.
Mikel Oyarzabal, Spain
It may be harsh to highlight Mikel Oyarzabal following Spain's draw with Cape Verde at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, but two statistics make it worth doing so. Ahead of the tournament, the Real Sociedad striker has been on fire, scoring 18 times for his club last season including 15 in La Liga. Meanwhile, he had also been on target in six successive appearances for Spain, netting 12 times across his last 11 internationals including braces against Georgia and Serbia.
However, during Monday's draw in Atlanta, Oyarzabal remarkably did not register a single touch of the ball during the opening 31 minutes, which feels impossible to achieve even if one tried. Well, potentially unsurprisingly, this is the first time any player has ever done this in a World Cup game since records began in 1966. As a striker, though, Oyarzabal might argue he needs the service.
Arda Güler, Turkiye
When it comes to most disappointing teams of the tournament, it simply has to be Türkiye. Back at the World Cup for the first time since 2002, having reached the quarterfinals at the Euros two summers ago, many were tipping Vincenzo Montella's team to be dark horses. Instead, having been beaten 2-0 by Australia and then 1-0 by 10-man Paraguay on Friday night, the Crescent-Stars have already been eliminated with one game still to play, which is pretty embarrassing.
Amazingly, Türkiye have had 62 shots across their two matches, the most of any side at the competition, but have scored a grand total of zero goals. Perhaps part of the problem is that more than half of these attempts have come from outside the box. It is harsh to focus on one player, but Arda Güler is supposed to be their talisman, and he has not delivered. The Real Madrid star has had 11 shots, of which only three found the target, providing five key passes but to no avail.
Luka Modrić, Croatia
Luka Modrić has caused England, and countless other clubs and nations, so many problems during the past two decades, but are his powers finally waning? He touched the ball just 33 times, completing all 27 passes but having little impact before being replaced by Mateo Kovačić before the hour mark.
The sight of Croatia's talisman being hooked against a top-class opponent at a time when his side needed a goal was not something you see very often. Tuesday against Panama in Toronto will see Modrić earn his 200th cap, just the fourth man to reach this milestone of any nationality, hoping to mark the occasion with a win.
Darwin Núñez, Uruguay
Another team who did not impress in their group opener was Uruguay, needing a late goal from Maxi Araújo to salvage a draw against a very poor Saudi Arabia side in Miami. Well, the Celeste player who endured a day to forget more than most has to be Darwin Núñez. There's no Luis Suárez, Edinson Cavani nor Diego Forlán anymore, so Núñez is supposed to be their next great center-forward.
However, he hasn't played a single club game since Feb. 16 after Al-Hilal signed an extra foreign player, meaning he had to be de-registered. And at international level, Núñez is now 14 outings and 947 minutes without a goal for his country, most recently on target for los Charrúas during the Copa América group stage almost two years ago. In their World Cup opener, after touching the ball only seven times, he was substituted at halftime by Marcelo Bielsa, seemingly unlikely to start again at this tournament and leaving his career at something of a crossroads for club and country.
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