Portugal’s 2026 World Cup campaign got off to a frustrating start after they were held to a 1-1 draw by Congo DR in Houston, raising fresh questions about Cristiano Ronaldo’s role in the team.
It looked like Portugal were set for a comfortable night after a brilliant opening spell. Roberto Martinez’s side dominated possession early, completing 84 passes in the build-up to João Neves’ sixth-minute header, while Congo DR managed just 12 touches in the same stretch.
At that moment, Portugal appeared in total control.
But football can change quickly.
Instead of pushing for a second goal, Portugal seemed to lose momentum. Congo DR gradually grew into the game, finding more confidence and more space. Their persistence paid off just before halftime when Yoane Wissa rose highest from a corner to level the score.
From there, the African side arguably looked the stronger team.
By full-time, Congo DR had registered more shots (eight to seven), more shots on target (two to one), and even created the better chances with a higher expected goals tally.
For Portugal, it was a worrying pattern. Once again, they failed to win their opening World Cup game — something that has now happened four times in their last five tournaments.
And once again, the spotlight turned to Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ronaldo’s Struggles Continue
Making his sixth World Cup appearance at 41 years old, Ronaldo played the full 90 minutes but struggled to make an impact.
He managed just three shots, none of them on target, and offered little creativity. He created no chances, completed only two progressive carries, and attempted no ground duels. It was another quiet performance at a time when other global stars were shining.
Just 24 hours earlier, Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, and Erling Haaland had all produced match-winning displays and scored multiple goals.
Ronaldo, by contrast, looked isolated.
Even when Portugal created openings, he found it difficult to gain any physical advantage over Congo’s defenders, often drifting wide in search of space rather than threatening in the penalty area.
His recent numbers in major tournaments are becoming harder to ignore.
Since scoring a penalty against Ghana at the 2022 World Cup, Ronaldo has now gone 10 straight matches across World Cups and European Championships without finding the net. Even more striking, he hasn’t scored an open-play goal in a major international tournament since June 2021.
For a player once considered the deadliest finisher in football, it’s a dramatic decline.
Martinez Defends His Captain
Despite the criticism, Portugal boss Roberto Martinez stood firmly behind Ronaldo after the match.
“It makes no sense to take the best goalscorer in world football off when you need goals,” Martinez said.
The coach insisted the bigger issue was Portugal’s inability to provide service after their bright start.
“After the first goal, we stopped reaching the final third with the quality we needed. We didn’t support the striker enough and we have to improve that.”
Martinez admitted his team became too cautious after going ahead, focusing on possession rather than attacking with purpose.
Instead of using the goal as a platform to dominate, Portugal became passive — and Congo DR took advantage.
Congo DR Show Character
For Congo DR, this was a historic and impressive result.
Playing in their first World Cup in over five decades, Sébastien Desabre’s side showed resilience and tactical discipline after conceding early.
The Congolese coach praised his players’ mentality.
“We know how to recover from difficult starts. The team stayed calm, reset mentally, and reacted the right way.”
That fighting spirit has become a trademark for Congo DR. It mirrors their qualification journey, where they also came from behind against Nigeria before advancing on penalties.
Against Portugal, they proved they belong on this stage.
Portugal Need Answers — Fast
While it’s only one game, Portugal now head into their next match against Uzbekistan under pressure.
History shows early setbacks don’t always define a World Cup — Argentina lost their opener in 2022 before winning the tournament, while Spain did the same in 2010.
Martinez pointed to those examples as reasons to stay calm.
But Portugal’s bigger concern may not be the draw itself — it’s the growing feeling that they are too dependent on an aging Ronaldo without a clear alternative.
Even when Gonçalo Ramos came on late, Ronaldo stayed on.
There seems to be no Plan B.
And if Portugal are serious about challenging for the trophy, they may need one sooner rather than later.
