Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and more: 5 football superstars who have had a slow start to 2022

#3 Romelu Lukaku – Chelsea

Chelsea v Tottenham Hotspur - Premier League

Since his club-record transfer from Inter Milan last summer, Romelu Lukaku has struggled to cope with the weight of expectations at Chelsea.

He has scored only eight goals for the Blues in all competitions this season, an immensely disappointing return for a player of his caliber.

Lukaku has taken part in seven games so far this year, finding the back of the net only once. His link-up play has been poor, finishing wayward, and his body language has also been far from impressive.

The Chelsea striker needs to produce a convincing performance to win back his supporters. He might get the perfect opportunity to do just that when the Blues play Al-Hilal in the FIFA Club World Cup semi-finals tonight.

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#2 Lionel Messi – Paris Saint-Germain

Manchester City v Paris Saint-Germain: Group A - UEFA Champions League

Paris Saint-Germain No.30 Lionel Messi missed his team’s first two league matches of the year due to COVID-19. He eventually returned to fitness and started in PSG’s French Cup clash against Nice.

In Neymar’s absence, Messi wore the No.10 jersey for the first time at PSG. It was due to the French Cup tradition which mandates players to wear jerseys bearing numbers from 1 to 11. Unfortunately, his performance didn’t live up to the billing. He was smothered by Nice’s defenders and couldn’t help his side from falling to a defeat.

He bounced back with a goal and an assist in Sunday’s 1-5 win over defending Ligue 1 champions Lille. His last outing alone would have been enough for any other player to escape this list.

However, when you're one of the best in history, you ought to be able to live up to unrealistic expectations.

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#1 Cristiano Ronaldo – Manchester United

Burnley v Manchester United - Premier League

Five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo has had a rough start to the year. The 37-year-old has seen his team underperform against minnows and has not been able to help them get their act together.

At the start of the year, he captained United for the first time this season. The Red Devils fell to a disappointing 1-0 defeat at Old Trafford against Wolverhampton Wanderers, with the Portuguese cutting a frustrating figure in attack.

He missed the next match due to a hip injury, which allowed Bruno Fernandes to spring to life and bag a brace. Manchester United won the next couple of matches, but Ronaldo could not make a telling contribution.

The Portuguese captain then featured in United’s FA Cup clash against Middlesbrough. He missed a first-half spot-kick as his side fell to a defeat on penalties.

Ronaldo’s last appearance came in a 1-1 draw against Burnley on matchday 24 of the Premier League. He came off the bench in the 68th minute and missed two decent chances to win the game for his side.

It has not been Ronaldo's year so far. The iconic Portuguese has not scored in five games for the first time in over a decade (2010).