Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo failed to make an impact as his side struggled to a 1-1 draw against DR Congo in their World Cup opening match in Houston on Wednesday, BBC Sport confirmed. The veteran forward failed to follow the explosive form of rival superstars who lit up the global tournament a day earlier. France striker Kylian Mbappe had scored twice against Senegal to become his country`s all-time leading scorer while Norway forward Erling Haaland marked his debut with two goals against Iraq. At the same time, Lionel Messi scored a brilliant hat-trick against Algeria to draw level with Germany`s Miroslav Klose as the joint-leading goalscorer in World Cup finals history.
By starting the match against the African nation, Ronaldo made history by becoming the oldest outfield player to start a World Cup match at 41 years and 132 days old. However, the legendary Al-Nassr striker missed his initial opportunity to become the first footballer to score in six different World Cup tournaments. As the tense match progressed, Ronaldo appeared increasingly desperate to end his lengthy barren run of nine consecutive major tournament matches without a single goal. He squandered Portugal`s finest opportunity to secure a victory when he mistakenly blocked a dangerous cut-back intended for midfielder Bruno Fernandes, who occupied a much better scoring position near the penalty spot.
Speaking as an analyst on Fox Sports, former France international striker Thierry Henry heavily criticized Ronaldo for showing selfishness during that decisive attacking play. Henry noted that if Ronaldo had run directly into the six-yard box, the opposing defender would have been forced to track him, leaving an easy tap-in for Fernandes. Because the captain was overly eager to get his own name on the scoresheet, he crossed directly into the path of the incoming pass. Henry emphasized that soccer is ultimately a collective effort where the team needs to score rather than an individual player prioritizing personal records over victory.
What remains unclear is why Portugal manager Roberto Martinez chose to leave the struggling veteran on the pitch for the entire duration of the match. Commentating for BBC Radio 5 Live, former Premier League striker Chris Sutton strongly questioned the manager`s tactical decision to keep Ronaldo active while replacing other key players. As young forward Goncalo Ramos replaced midfielder Vitinha in the 83rd minute, Sutton described the management style as embarrassing and suggested the staff felt intimidated to substitute the national icon. Prior to kick-off, former Manchester United teammate Wayne Rooney had predicted on BBC One that Ronaldo would be highly motivated by Messi`s hat-trick, but the final outcome proved highly frustrating for the Portuguese squad.
Portugal had initially captured an early lead in the sixth minute when winger Pedro Neto delivered a precise left-wing cross that Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Joao Neves converted with a superb header. However, Newcastle United forward Yoane Wissa equalized for DR Congo shortly before the half-time whistle by nodding home a well-deserved cross. Despite dominating the game with over 75 percent of ball possession, the European powerhouse managed only seven total attempts at goal, with Neves` early header being their solitary shot on target. Ronaldo finished the difficult match with a mere 25 total touches, registering the lowest active involvement among all Portuguese outfield players who completed the full ninety minutes.
During the second half, substitute winger Francisco Conceicao twice set up the captain from the right flank, but Ronaldo failed to capitalize on both moments. The first attempt resulted in a tame effort that drifted harmlessly past the near post while his second shot flew wide under intense physical pressure from the Congolese defenders. Ronaldo has now gone 10 consecutive games at major international tournaments without finding the back of the net since converting a penalty against Ghana in 2022. Former France defender Gael Clichy observed that Ronaldo`s massive superstar status might unconsciously pressure younger teammates into forcing passes to him rather than taking responsibility themselves.
