Infantino shouldn't have bothered! CR7 falls flat in Portugal draw

Ronaldo Bernardo Portugal DR Congo

Portugal were held to a disappointing 1-1 draw by minnows DR Congo in their first World Cup group game, with a Yoane Wissa effort cancelling out Joao Neves' opener. Cristiano Ronaldo cut a frustrated figure up front, while Bernardo Silva also had an afternoon to forget as Roberto Martinez's side failed to live up to their billing as one of the pre-tournament favourites.

Portugal took the look after just six minutes, with Pedro Neto producing an inch perfect cross to find the run of Neves, who then directed a brilliant header into the far corner for only his fourth international goal. DR Congo were stunned, but instead of going for the jugular, Portugal then seemed to drop their intensity levels and treat the contest like a training game, passing the ball around aimlessly for long periods.

They only created a couple of half-chances, while DR Congo showed some promise on the counter, with Wissa doing his best to unsettle the Portugal defence. Wissa and DR Congo eventually got the reward their endeavour deserved in first-half stoppage time, as the Newcastle man ghosted in unmarked to glance home a teasing Arthur Masuaku cross.

Portugal thought they'd retaken the lead early in the second half, only for an acrobatic strike from Joao Cancelo to be correctly ruled out for offside. Cedric Bakambu then went down the other end and hit the post for DR Congo after outmuscling Bruno Fernandes in another concerning moment for Roberto Martinez's side.

Substitute Francisco Conceicao ended up being Portugal's brightest spark, and managed to bypass the DR Congo defence to the by-line and feed Ronaldo on a couple of occasions, only for the 41-year-old striker to fluff his lines. Portugal huffed and puffed through to the final whistle, but couldn't find the second goal as DR Congo secured a point in their first World Cup game since 1974.

GOAL rates all the Portugal's players from Houston...

Portugal v Congo DR: Group K - FIFA World Cup 2026

Goalkeeper & Defence

Diogo Costa (5/10):

Showed signs of nerves with his inconsistent kicking, and should have at least attempted to come and claim Masuaku's high cross for DR Congo's goal.

Joao Cancelo (6/10):

Solid enough defensively and industrious and tidy going forward, though didn't offer enough penetration down the right hand side. Saw spectacular overhead goal disallowed for clear offside.

Tomas Araujo (5/10):

A largely assured performance undone by his unforgivable lack of awareness for Wissa's equaliser. Caught ball watching as DR Congo outnumbered Portugal at the back post.

Renato Veiga (6/10):

Ensured that the injured Ruben Dias wasn't missed with his physicality and polished reading off the game. Also played a few lovely balls in behind that should have been better exploited.

Nuno Mendes (5/10):

A constant threat with his channel running but final ball let him down too often. Also lost the majority of his ground duels.

Portugal v Congo DR: Group K - FIFA World Cup 2026

Midfield

Vitinha (6/10):

Kept Portugal ticking over in trademark style with his near-faultless passing. Not quite at his line-breaking best, though, and content to stay around the halfway line.

Joao Neves (7/10):

Showed his underrated aerial class once again with a perfectly executed header to put Portugal 1-0 up. Covered every blade of grass and always looked the most likely to create openings.

Bruno Fernandes (5/10):

A subdued display from the Manchester United captain. Always strived to get on the ball but showed little of his usual invention in the final third.

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Attack

Bernardo Silva (3/10):

Spectacularly failed to justify his surprise free transfer to Real Madrid after lining up on the right wing. Barely had any involvement before being hooked at half-time.

Cristiano Ronaldo (3/10):

FIFA needn't have bothered inviting a backlash by suspending Ronaldo's red card suspension so he could feature in the opening round of matches. On the fringes of the action for 99% of the game, and squandered Portugal's two best chances. He's now gone nine consecutive major tournament games without a goal.

Pedro Neto (6/10):

Produced an excellent assist for Neves to break the deadlock, but was otherwise ineffective. Has to attack his marker more often to remain a starter.

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Subs & Manager

Francisco Conceicao (7/10):

On at half-time for Silva. Staked his claim for a starting role with a lively outing as he injected some pace and guile into Portugal's play.

Raphael Leao (5/10):

Came on for Neto in the 71st minute. Did not do enough to impose himself or give Portugal any proper width.

Nelson Semedo (5/10):

Played the final 20 minutes after replacing Mendes, but didn't offer the same threat in behind.

Goncalo Ramos (N/A):

Came on for Vitinha in 83rd minute.

Roberto Martinez (3/10):

Predictable tactical set-up backfired, along with his continued blind faith in the well-past it Ronaldo. Will find himself under huge pressure if Portugal don't bounce back against Uzbekistan on matchday two.