HOUSTON, Texas — Tournament debutants DR Congo produced one of the early surprises of the FIFA World Cup after holding heavily favored Portugal to a 1-1 draw on Wednesday night (Thursday in the Philippines) at NRG Stadium, frustrating Cristiano Ronaldo and the Portuguese side in their Group-stage opener.
Portugal appeared on course for a routine victory after taking an early lead, but the resilient Congolese side battled back before halftime and then withstood relentless pressure in the second half to secure a historic point in its return to football’s biggest stage.
The Portuguese struck first in the sixth minute when João Neves rose above the defense to head home Pedro Neto’s cross for a 1-0 advantage.
DR Congo, however, refused to be intimidated by one of the tournament favorites and found the equalizer in first-half stoppage time. Yoane Wissa connected on Arthur Masuaku’s cross and powered a header past the Portuguese defense to level the match at 1-1.
The Africans nearly completed a stunning comeback shortly after the restart when Cédric Bakambu broke free, only to see his attempt crash off the post.
Portugal thought it had regained the lead in the 55th minute when João Cancelo produced a spectacular bicycle kick, but the effort was ruled out for offside.
Ronaldo, making history in his sixth World Cup appearance, had several opportunities to rescue Portugal but failed to convert. The veteran striker missed the target twice in the second half, sending attempts wide in the 68th and 73rd minutes.
Bruno Fernandes also squandered a golden opportunity late in the contest as his shot drifted wide, allowing DR Congo to preserve the draw.
Despite dropping points, Ronaldo added another milestone to his illustrious career. The Portugal captain joined Argentina’s Lionel Messi as the only players to appear in six FIFA World Cups and became the oldest outfield player ever to start a World Cup match, eclipsing the previous record held by Canada’s Atiba Hutchinson.
For DR Congo, the result marked a memorable return to the World Cup. Competing in the tournament for the first time since appearing as Zaire in 1974, the African nation earned its first-ever World Cup point after losing all three of its previous matches and failing to score in its only prior appearance.
Adding an emotional touch to the occasion, the parents of Portuguese international Diogo Jota, who died alongside his brother in a car accident last year, attended the match and watched from a luxury suite as Portugal opened its campaign.
In another World Cup match, Harry Kane scored twice to power England to a 4-2 victory over Croatia. Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford added a goal each for the English side.
Elsewhere, Austria defeated Jordan, 3-1; Ghana edged Panama, 1-0; while Colombia routed Uzbekistan, 3-1./PN
