DR Congo earn first World Cup point against Portugal
Portugal played out a 1-1 draw against DR Congo in their opening 2026 World Cup clash on Wednesday at the Houston Stadium in the United States of America.
Roberto Martinez started talisman Cristiano Ronaldo up top, he was flanked by Pedro Neto and Bernardo Silva.
Paris Saint-Germain duo of Joao Neves and Vitinha alongside Manchester United’s captain Bruno Fernandes occupied the midfield.
Neves gave Portugal an early lead in the sixth minute with a clinical header from Pedro Neto’s cross.
Joan Wissa restored parity for DR Congo with a glancing header from Arthur Masuaku’s cross on the stroke of halftime.
It was also DR Congo’s first-ever World Cup in the history of the tournament.
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Ronaldo missed two glorious chances in the second half in a disappointing showing to make it 10 consecutive outings for Portugal without scoring in a major tournament.
DR Congo held on to snatch a draw for their first-ever point in the World Cup history.
In their only previous appearance in 1974, the nation – then known as Zaire – lost all three matches by an aggregate score of 14-0.
It was a disappointing performance from Portugal, who recorded just one shot on target in the entire match.
Up next for Portugal is a clash against Uzbekistan on Tuesday while DR Congo will take on Colombia on Wednesday.
