Portugal falters as DR Congo claims historic tournament point

Cristiano Ronaldo and his Portuguese squad suffered an early setback in their 2026 World Cup campaign after securing a 1-1 draw against DR Congo in Texas. Early momentum favoured the European giants. Pedro Neto delivered an accurate cross to João Neves. Neves powered a brilliant header into the net to give his team a sixth-minute lead.

Returning to the global stage for the first time since competing as Zaire in 1974, the African nation refused to surrender.

Instead of pressing their advantage, the favourites lost intensity. They passed the ball without real purpose. This gave their opponents room to launch dangerous counterattacks. Yoane Wissa punished this complacency right before halftime. He slipped past defenders to head in a perfect cross from Arthur Masuaku.

Both teams pushed hard for a winner after the break. Officials disallowed an acrobatic goal by João Cancelo due to offside. Cedric Bakambu nearly won it for the African side, but his fierce shot rattled the goalpost. Substitutes tried to spark the Portuguese attack late in the game. Ronaldo saw limited chances and failed to convert them. Ultimately, disciplined Congolese defending held firm to secure a remarkable result.

With inputs from Agency Threads and Image Courtesy: ANI