Portugal were left disappointed after opening their 2026 World Cup Group I campaign with a 1-1 draw against the Democratic Republic of Congo. Cristiano Ronaldo, 41, became the oldest outfield player ever to start a World Cup match, at 41 years and 132 days, but made little impact in a game where Portugal managed only seven shots, matching their lowest total in World Cup history, also recorded against South Korea in 2002.
Ronaldo touched the ball just 25 times, fewer than any Portuguese player who completed 90 minutes in a major tournament. He also went a 10th straight major tournament match without a goal, despite taking 33 shots in that span, 11 of them on target. Portugal’s frustration was summed up by João Cancelo, who said, “This is a draw that feels like a loss.” He added, “We wanted to win, not only for ourselves but for everything around this team. We failed, and we need to keep our feet on the ground.”
Rafael Leão said Portugal lost control after a strong start. “In the first 20 minutes we controlled the match and scored early,” he said. “Maybe because we wanted to score the second, we lost control, and Congo became more dangerous.” Coach Roberto Martínez tried to stay measured, saying the team started well but must improve, even though “the players’ attitude was very good.” He said it was better to face such an outing in the group stage and learn from it.
Portugal’s scorer, João Neves, became the third-youngest Portuguese player to score at a World Cup, at 21 years and 263 days, behind Ronaldo and Gonçalo Ramos. He said he was happy with the goal but disappointed with the result. For Congo, Yoane Wissa scored the first World Cup goal in the country’s history, as the team returned to the tournament for the first time since 1974, when it was still known as Zaire. Wissa said the team had to suffer against one of the world’s best sides and dedicated the moment to people in Congo, adding that “there is war in Congo,” and he prays for peace and better days.
