Ronaldo's World Cup Debut Marred by Ineffective Performance in Portugal's Draw

Cristiano Ronaldo endured a frustrating outing as Portugal drew 1-1 with the Democratic Republic of Congo in their opening match of the 2026 World Cup. The veteran forward, who became the oldest player to start a World Cup match at 41 years and 132 days, was largely ineffective throughout the game.

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He did nothing.

According to The Athletic, Ronaldo "did nothing," failing to register a single shot on target and touching the ball only 25 times. He was criticized for attempting difficult shots rather than facilitating team play, missing a clear scoring opportunity. Thierry Henry, speaking as a pundit, commented, "My goals are not important. It's important that the team scores," implicitly criticizing Ronaldo's individualistic approach.

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My goals are not important. It's important that the team scores.

Portugal took the lead in the sixth minute through João Neves, but DR Congo equalized in first-half stoppage time via Yoane Wissa. Despite the disappointing result, Portugal's coach Roberto Martínez defended his decision to keep Ronaldo on the field, stating, "It makes no sense to substitute the greatest goalscorer in football history in a game where we desperately need a goal."

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It makes no sense to substitute the greatest goalscorer in football history in a game where we desperately need a goal.

For DR Congo, the match marked a historic achievement, securing their first-ever World Cup point after 52 years. Wissa expressed pride in the team's persistence against a stronger opponent. In their only previous World Cup appearance in 1974 (as Zaire), the team lost all three matches without scoring a goal.

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I think we showed persistence against a stronger team.