Portugal Stunned by DR Congo Draw — Ronaldo Ineffective as World Cup Starts Poorly

If you tuned into the World Cup hoping to see Cristiano Ronaldo remind the world he's still got it — Wednesday was not that day.

Portugal, one of the tournament favorites, kicked off their 2026 World Cup campaign against DR Congo in Houston on June 17. On paper, it should've been a comfortable win. In reality, it ended 1-1, and Ronaldo was at the center of the conversation for all the wrong reasons.

How it went down

Portugal started sharp. João Neves put them ahead in just the sixth minute with a well-placed header off a perfectly weighted Pedro Neto cross — the kind of early goal that should've set the tone. But instead of pressing their advantage, Portugal seemed to switch into cruise control. They passed the ball around endlessly but rarely threatened. DR Congo, undeterred, fought their way back into the game and grabbed an equalizer just before halftime — Yoane Wissa heading home from a corner to score his country's first-ever World Cup goal. Portugal never found a way through after that.

The Ronaldo question, again

Here's the number that tells the story: 25 touches. Three shots. Zero on target. One duel won. That's what Ronaldo's stat line looked like on the day. For context, that was the second-fewest touches he's ever had in a World Cup start. He had two clear chances in the second half — both set up by substitute Francisco Conceição making dangerous runs — and he missed them both wide. The Congolese defenders swarmed him, and he couldn't find any space or physical edge to work with. This now stretches his goalless run in major tournaments (World Cups and Euros combined) to 10 consecutive games — his longest drought of his international career.

To be fair, it wasn't just Ronaldo. Portugal completed over 700 passes at a 92% accuracy rate, but almost none of it went anywhere meaningful. Bernardo Silva was substituted at halftime after a poor showing. The whole team looked toothless once DR Congo equalized. Manager Roberto Martinez was diplomatic afterward, saying the team needs to do more to get Ronaldo the ball in dangerous positions — but he also chose to leave the 41-year-old on the pitch for the full 90 minutes even as the team struggled.

Why it matters for the tournament

This is Portugal's fourth time failing to win their opening World Cup match in five tournaments. It's not fatal — they still have games against Uzbekistan and Colombia ahead — but Colombia already beat Uzbekistan 3-1 on the same day, jumping straight to the top of Group K. Portugal now can't afford another slip-up. The group is tighter than expected.

There's also the bigger picture question looming over this team: does playing a 41-year-old Ronaldo as the lone striker actually help Portugal win, or does his presence — and the team's instinct to feed him at all costs — hold them back? That debate just got a lot louder. Portugal next face Uzbekistan on Tuesday, and that result will tell us a lot about how seriously to take these concerns.