Match report, results and goals as Wissa’s equaliser gave Ronaldo & Co. a frustrating start
DR Congo secured their first-ever World Cup point with a sensational draw against Portugal.
Portugal’s quest for their first World Cup title got off to a bumpy start when they only managed a 1-1 draw against DR Congo in their opening match in Group K. “The choice to start with Cristiano Ronaldo, who has several years of well-paid desert football, is wrong. But Ronaldo is such a huge star that Portugal’s national team manager really had no choice. Only ex-Barcelona player João Cancelo, who also plays desert football, had a worse score.
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Roberto Martínez’s side are among the favourites to fight for the trophy in what will be his last World Cup as manager – and what is likely to be Cristiano Ronaldo’s last World Cup in an unprecedented career.
Portugal looked to be on their way to a comfortable victory when João Neves scored the first goal of the game after six minutes, but then Martínez’s men became very toothless.
In fact, DR Congo – who are in their first World Cup finals since 1974, when the country was called Zaire – grew into the game and found a well-deserved equaliser in the fifth minute of first-half added time. Yoane Wissa equalised with a great header that also marked the country’s first ever World Cup goal.
Sébastien Desabre’s side created the best chances to win the game in the second half, while Portugal struggled and Ronaldo became a peripheral figure.
Ronaldo would undoubtedly have wanted to make his mark on the tournament quickly, following the impressive performances of Kylian Mbappé, Erling Braut Haaland and Lionel Messi on Tuesday. Instead, the day became DR Congo’s day – they secured a historic first World Cup point.
DR Congo frustrated Portugal and took historic point
It looked as if the floodgates might open when Neves put Pedro Neto’s cross from the left past Lionel Mpasi to become the third youngest Portuguese goalscorer in a World Cup.
But DR Congo responded strongly, and Wissa curled a shot just outside the box when they tried to equalize.
And Wissa made sure that DR Congo was rewarded for a strong finish to the first half. The Newcastle striker put a tough club spell behind him and hammered a close-range header into the net from Arthur Masuaku’s cross after a short corner.
Portugal changed before the second half, with Francisco Conceição replacing Bernardo Silva. They got the ball in the net for the second time after a spectacular brass kick from João Cancelo, but the finish was correctly annulled for offside.
Cédric Bakambu hit the post at the other end when DR Congo threatened to complete the turnaround, and the same player fired over after a counterattack just after Ronaldo had shot outside from a Conceição backpass.
Bruno Fernandes came close with a long-range shot late in the game, but the reality was that DR Congo rarely looked threatened – they wrote a fantastic chapter in their football history, while Portugal delivered a performance that will raise more questions about their reliance on Ronaldo at this stage of their careers.
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