HOUSTON: Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo has shared his reaction after his side were held to a 1-1 draw by the Democratic Republic of Congo in their opening Group K fixture of the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Roberto Martinez’s side made a bright start and broke the deadlock inside six minutes when midfielder Joao Neves headed home from a well-worked move to hand Portugal an early advantage.
Portugal dominated possession during the opening stages and pinned DR Congo deep inside their own half, with Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes heavily involved as they searched for a second goal.
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However, the African side remained resilient and gradually settled into the contest.
Despite Portugal’s control for much of the first half, DR Congo struck back in stoppage time through Yoane Wissa, who capitalised on a late opportunity to score his country’s first-ever goal at a FIFA World Cup.
The second half proved a frustrating affair for both teams, with chances at either end failing to produce a winner as the match finished level.
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Following the disappointing result, Ronaldo took to his social media account on X to send a message to supporters and insist Portugal’s campaign remains on track.
“It wasn’t the start we wanted, but this is far from over. Head up and focus on the next game,” Ronaldo wrote.
Não era o arranque que queríamos, mas isto está longe de ter acabado. Cabeça levantada e foco no próximo jogo. pic.twitter.com/YoH3RQcz9z
— Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano) June 17, 2026
The draw leaves Portugal with work to do in Group K, having missed the opportunity to make an ideal start to their World Cup campaign.
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