Portugal began their 2026 World Cup campaign with a frustrating 1-1 draw against DR Congo at NRG Stadium in Houston. Despite dominating possession, Roberto Martinez’s side struggled to find a second goal, with captain Cristiano Ronaldo delivering an ineffective display.
Ronaldo, 41, became the oldest outfield player to start a World Cup match, behind only Cameroon legend Roger Milla. He and Messi are the only players to appear at six World Cups.
But the historic milestone quickly turned into a nightmare for the Portuguese star. DR Congo's disciplined defense neutralized him completely. Ronaldo recorded just 25 touches—the fewest among Portugal's starters, and 10 fewer than opposing striker Yoane Wissa, who scored the equalizer. All three of Ronaldo's shots were off target, including two clear chances missed in the second half.
Coach Martinez defended his decision not to substitute Ronaldo: “There’s no reason to take the world’s best goalscorer off when you need a goal. Cristiano’s experience in the box is crucial.”
However, Thierry Henry criticized Ronaldo’s movement: “The team needs to score, not the player. But because Ronaldo wants to score, he ran into Bruno Fernandes’ path, turning a promising move into something easy to defend.” Former Ghana midfielder Kevin Prince Boateng was blunter: “Let’s be honest—if Ronaldo were a team player, he would step aside for younger players. Portugal are a better team without him.”
By contrast, Messi scored a hat-trick against Algeria, equaling Ronaldo’s record of scoring at five World Cups and matching the tournament’s all-time top scorer record. Kylian Mbappe (France), Erling Haaland (Norway), and Harry Kane (England) each scored a brace in wins.
Ronaldo has not scored from open play in a major tournament since Euro 2020 against Germany—five years ago. He last netted at the World Cup in the 2022 round of 16, a penalty against Ghana, and went scoreless at Euro 2024, extending his goalless run in major competitions to 10 matches.
Portugal face Uzbekistan on Tuesday (17:00 GMT) and Colombia next Saturday (23:30 GMT) in their remaining Group K matches.
