Portugal stunned by DR Congo draw as Ronaldo's blank draws fire from Henry and Ibrahimović

Match summary

Portugal's 2026 World Cup campaign began with a surprise 1-1 draw against DR Congo in Houston. João Neves gave the European side an early lead in the 6th minute, but Yoane Wissa equalised deep into first-half stoppage time after a corner kick. Portugal controlled possession but created little of note after the break, while DR Congo looked the more threatening side.

Ronaldo's struggles

The 41-year-old captain played the full 90 minutes and managed only 25 touches of the ball. He failed to test the goalkeeper with any of his three attempts, the most glaring coming in the 68th minute when he miscued a pass from Francisco Conceição. Ronaldo has now gone 10 consecutive major tournament matches without scoring, dating back to a penalty against Ghana in November 2022.

“It was not the start we wanted, but it is not over yet. Head up and focus on the next match.”

Despite the blank, Ronaldo set one record: at 41 years and 132 days, he became the oldest outfield player ever to start a World Cup match. Only Cameroonian Roger Milla (42 years, 39 days as a substitute in 1994) and Egyptian goalkeeper Essam El‑Hadary (45 years, 161 days in 2018) have appeared at an older age in the tournament.

Essam El-Hadary (GK)45.44

Roger Milla (sub)42.11

Cristiano Ronaldo (start)41.36

Essam El-Hadary (GK)

45.44 years

Roger Milla (sub)

42.11 years

Cristiano Ronaldo (start)

41.36 years

Data from the article text

Coach backs his captain

Manager Roberto Martínez faced questions about why he kept Ronaldo on the pitch and whether the forward remains undroppable.

“There was no point in taking off the world's top scorer in a match where the team needed a goal. When we think about scoring, Cristiano has to be on the pitch. His experience in the box and his ability to attract defenders creates space and chances for his teammates.”

Martínez insisted that age is irrelevant when assessing Ronaldo, stressing his influence on and off the pitch, and confirmed the forward is almost certain to start the next match against Uzbekistan. He also played down Ronaldo's frustrated body language at full time, attributing it to unfamiliarity with FIFA media protocols.

Legends hit out

Television pundits Thierry Henry and Zlatan Ibrahimović were unsparing in their analysis.

“One important thing: it's the team that needs to score goals, not you. In one move, wanting to score himself, he gets in the way of Bruno Fernandes. That is the problem with Ronaldo now. He plays as a striker, a No. 9, but he never was one and he doesn't behave like one. He doesn't bring those qualities to the Portuguese national team.”

Ibrahimović focused on Ronaldo's movement, criticising his decision to occupy space that clogged the path for a late runner.

“Normally as a striker you move from the near post to the far post to drag a defender with you and create space for a teammate arriving from deep. So, of course, you made the wrong decision, Cristiano.”

Group K picture

Later on Wednesday, Colombia beat Uzbekistan 3-1 to go top of Group K with three points. Portugal and DR Congo sit on one point each, while Uzbekistan are bottom.

Colombia3

Portugal1

DR Congo1

Uzbekistan0

Colombia

3 pts

Portugal

1 pts

DR Congo

1 pts

Uzbekistan

0 pts

Data from the article text

Portuguese media did not hide their dismay. Newspaper A Bola called the result a "serious warning", while radio station Antena 1 described it as a "great disappointment" and noted that DR Congo were "faster, more offensive and more entertaining" on the night. Portugal now have six days to regroup before facing Uzbekistan on 23 June.