Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo matched Lionel Messi’s record by qualifying for his sixth consecutive World Cup, but he was unable to score in the match. On June 17, in Houston, during their opening Group G game at the FIFA World Cup 2026, Portugal was held to a 1-1 draw by the Democratic Republic of Congo. Although Portugal took an early lead, they could not maintain it and had to settle for a point against Congo.
João Neves gave Portugal the advantage by heading in a cross from Pedro Neto in the sixth minute. However, the Democratic Republic of Congo, returning to the World Cup after 52 years, equalized in the first half injury time. Yohan Visale scored the equalizer in the fourth minute of added time, securing Congo’s first ever goal and point in World Cup history. Previously, Congo, competing under the name Zaire in 1974, lost all three group stage matches without scoring.
While Cristiano Ronaldo equaled Lionel Messi’s record of consecutive World Cup appearances, he was unable to score in this match.
