Portugal 1-1 DR Congo: Ronaldo Frustrated as Wissa Earns Historic World Cup Point

Portugal failed to deliver as they were held to a draw by DR Congo, who earned their first-ever World Cup point to produce yet another shock result at this tournament.

Cristiano Ronaldo was unable to replicate anything close to what his rival Lionel Messi achieved the previous night, with the Portuguese legend failing to score on his record-equalling sixth World Cup appearance while becoming the oldest player ever to feature in the competition.

Roberto Martínez’s side were poor, but DR Congo were superb, especially after conceding inside the opening five minutes. João Neves grabbed the opener with an excellent header, and Portugal looked set to cruise past their African opponents.

However, after taking the lead, the Europeans looked flat and struggled to create meaningful chances, managing only one further effort for a large portion of the game. DR Congo gradually grew into the contest and grabbed a deserved equaliser on the stroke of half-time through Yoane Wissa following a corner.

The second half followed a similar pattern, with DR Congo threatening on the counter-attack while Portugal struggled to create clear opportunities. Ronaldo had two excellent chances but was unable to convert either.

The game eventually petered out, and Ronaldo’s dream start to what is expected to be his final World Cup was frustrated as Portugal were held to a draw. DR Congo fully deserved their point and, at times, even looked the more likely side to win the match.

The result has made the group far more intriguing than many anticipated, with Portugal now facing a battle to secure qualification while DR Congo have given themselves an outside chance of progressing as well.

Match Report

As expected, Portugal started on the front foot, dominating possession during the opening exchanges. It took just five minutes for Roberto Martínez’s side to make the breakthrough.

A floated cross from Pedro Neto into the penalty area found João Neves at the penalty spot, and the midfielder powered a header beyond the goalkeeper to give Portugal a straightforward 1-0 lead. It was the second-fastest goal of the tournament so far and appeared to dismantle DR Congo’s defensive game plan almost immediately.

The early setback forced DR Congo to step out of their shape and search for an equaliser. The Africans enjoyed encouraging moments after falling behind, with early opportunities for Yoane Wissa and Cédric Bakambu offering Sebastian Desabre’s side belief.

Bruno Fernandes and Vitinha briefly took control of midfield, allowing Portugal to settle, but DR Congo continued to pose a threat on the counter-attack while restricting their opponents to very few meaningful chances.

After the opening goal, Portugal struggled to create further opportunities, and despite finding themselves in promising positions, their final ball was consistently lacking throughout the first half.

Martínez’s side were limited to just one shot on target in the opening 45 minutes Neves’ header while DR Congo produced the better chances and deservedly equalised just before the break.

A well-worked short-corner routine eventually found former West Ham United full-back Arthur Masuaku, who had time to deliver an excellent first-time cross towards the back post.

Wissa found space to meet it with a free header and directed the ball superbly beyond Diogo Costa to make it 1-1.

The Newcastle forward celebrated DR Congo’s first-ever World Cup goal after the nation had failed to score in its only previous appearance at the 1974 tournament.

The equaliser was richly deserved for Desabre’s side, with Portugal looking well below the standard expected of a squad packed with quality.

Despite expectations that Portugal would improve after the interval, DR Congo remained disciplined at the start of the second half, avoiding another difficult opening and continuing to defend impressively while posing problems of their own.

Portugal did enjoy a scare 10 minutes after the restart when Fernandes clipped a dangerous ball into the area. João Neves cushioned it down for João Cancelo, who produced a spectacular overhead kick, only for the offside flag to deny him.

Beyond that moment, Portugal struggled to break down the Congolese defence.

Martínez’s side finally created another clear-cut chance around the 70-minute mark, providing Ronaldo with his first genuine opportunity of the evening.

Sérgio Conceição burst into the box with both Ronaldo and Fernandes waiting for a cut-back, but his pass drifted slightly behind Ronaldo, whose effort lacked both direction and power before rolling wide.

Ronaldo was presented with a near-identical chance moments later after another delivery from Conceição, but once again the veteran forward failed to convert as his effort drifted wide.

The Congolese back line stood firm throughout Portugal’s late pressure, denying Ronaldo the chance to become the oldest goalscorer in World Cup history.

DR Congo also threatened themselves, with all-time leading scorer Bakambu coming close from the edge of the area but failing to find the target.

As the game entered its closing stages, Portugal’s attacking momentum faded. In fact, it was DR Congo who looked the more likely side to find a winner.

Portugal’s final notable opportunity fell to Fernandes, whose long-range left-footed strike drifted narrowly wide of the post before the final whistle confirmed a 1-1 draw and another major upset at this World Cup.

For Desabre and his players, earning the nation’s first-ever World Cup point will provide enormous encouragement as they continue their challenge for a place in the top two.

Next up is a meeting with Colombia, another stern test, but if they reproduce this level of performance, they will believe they have every chance of taking all three points.

As for Roberto Martínez’s side, they looked disjointed in attack, with much of their creativity coming through Bruno Fernandes.

Overall, Portugal appeared one-dimensional and only briefly looked capable of extending their lead after the opening goal.

A disappointing start for the European giants means there is still plenty of work to do if they are to progress from the group, with a meeting against Uzbekistan next on the agenda.

Man of the Match: Aaron Wan-Bissaka.