Portugal Stumble in Opening Match as Ronaldo Endures Rare Off Nig

The Portugal, one of the pre-tournament favourites for the FIFA World Cup, suffered an unexpected setback in their opening Group “K” match after being held to a 1–1 draw by the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Houston.

The result marked a disappointing start for the former European champions, who had entered the tournament with high expectations. Their biggest star, Cristiano Ronaldo, endured a subdued evening, failing to register a single shot on target despite playing the full 90 minutes.

A Rare Goal Drought for Ronaldo

The 41-year-old forward, appearing in a record sixth World Cup—matching a feat only recently associated with long-term rival Lionel Messi—has now gone 10 consecutive matches in major tournaments (World Cup and European Championship combined) without scoring from open play. Despite his legendary status as Portugal’s all-time leading scorer with 143 international goals, his impact against DR Congo was minimal, with all three of his attempts going off target.

Since June 2021, Ronaldo has not scored a non-penalty goal in either the World Cup or the European Championship, a statistic that has fuelled debate over his current effectiveness at the highest level.

However, the player himself rejected any suggestion of decline.

“Nothing is over yet” — Ronaldo

Speaking after the match, Ronaldo acknowledged Portugal’s disappointing start but insisted their campaign remains alive.

“We didn’t start the way we wanted, but nothing is over yet,” he said, according to ESPN. “We had chances. Football is like this. We could have won, and we could have lost.”

He added that the team must now quickly shift focus to the remaining group matches.

“Now we need to keep our heads up and focus on the next game.”

Coach Martinez Defends His Captain

Portugal head coach Roberto Martínez strongly defended his decision to keep Ronaldo on the pitch for the full match, dismissing criticism of the veteran striker’s performance.

“When you need a goal, it makes no sense to take the best goalscorer in world football off the pitch,” Martínez said. “His experience in the box is extremely important for us in these moments.”

He emphasised that Portugal’s performance was not solely dependent on one player, but on collective execution that fell short in key moments.

Group Stage Ahead

Portugal will now look to recover when they face Uzbekistan in their second group match in Houston on Tuesday night. Their final group fixture will be against Colombia in Miami on 28 June, a match that is expected to determine their final standing in the group.

Despite the setback, Portugal remain in contention—but the opening draw has already added pressure to a squad widely expected to progress deep into the tournament.

MMR