Portugal entered their first match in Group K of the 2026 World Cup determined to win against the Democratic Republic of Congo. Portugal's goal in this World Cup is to win the title. Midfielder Bruno Fernandes even boldly stated to the national media: “I believe this is the right time for Portugal to be crowned World Cup champions. We have the necessary quality and we really want to win so that Cristiano Ronaldo can fulfill his dream.”
What is Ronaldo's greatest aspiration? Of course, it's the World Cup title. CR7 only lacks the World Cup trophy to complete his collection of collective achievements at the most perfect level. Especially after his "arch-rival" Lionel Messi shone with a hat-trick helping Argentina beat Algeria 3-0, the motivation for the Portuguese captain to shine is even greater.
Portugal fielded a very strong lineup, with Ronaldo as the lone striker, supported by quality players including Vitinha, Joao Neves, Bernardo Silva, and Pedro Neto. Meanwhile, the Democratic Republic of Congo also impressed with many familiar faces to Vietnamese football fans such as Wan-Bissaka, Tuanzebe, and Wissa.
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| The scene before the match between Portugal and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Photo: AP |
Driven by a desire to secure three points, Portugal pushed forward, controlled possession, dominated the game, and quickly capitalized on their advantage with the opening goal in the 6th minute. Pedro Neto delivered a perfect cross from the left wing, allowing Joao Neves to penetrate the penalty area and head the ball into the net, beating Congo's goalkeeper Mpasi.
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| Ronaldo played aggressively. Photo: AP |
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| The Democratic Republic of Congo goalkeeper watched helplessly as the ball flew into the net after Joao Neves' header. Photo: AP |
After taking the lead, Portugal continuously applied pressure, launched varied attacks, and created numerous opportunities. However, their final touches and passes into the opponent's penalty area lacked the necessary effectiveness.
The Democratic Republic of Congo played a rather loosely-knit game. In many situations, the Congolese players took shots from long range, posing no threat to the Portuguese goal defended by goalkeeper Diogo Costa.
Just when it seemed the first half would end with Portugal holding the advantage, the Democratic Republic of Congo equalized. In the 45th minute, a well-executed corner kick by the Democratic Republic of Congo resulted in Masuaku lofting the ball into the penalty area for Wissa to head home unmarked, bringing the score back to a tie.
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| Wissa equalized 1-1 for the Democratic Republic of Congo with another header. Photo: AP |
In the second half, Portugal pressed hard but were met with tenacious resistance from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Portugal had a few notable moments, such as Joao Cancelo's overhead kick that was disallowed for offside, or Cristiano Ronaldo's spectacular shot that went wide despite being unmarked.
Despite having to defend, the Democratic Republic of Congo was by no means outmatched. The African team launched powerful counter-attacks, with Mukau and Kapuadi giving the Portuguese defense moments of alarm.
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| Ronaldo's disappointment. Photo: AP |
Portugal, of course, did not accept a draw. The coaching staff of the "European Selecao" constantly made personnel changes in the attack in an attempt to create a breakthrough. However, Portugal was unsuccessful, as their attacking moves, while quite fluid, lacked precision.
The match ended in a 1-1 draw. This result was a major disappointment for Portugal in general and Cristiano Ronaldo in particular. For the Democratic Republic of Congo, one point is a commendable achievement, giving the African representatives much hope in the race to qualify for the next round.
Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/the-thao/worldcup-2026/ronaldo-tit-ngoi-bo-dao-nha-hoa-chdc-congo-1044803
