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Portugal’s 2026 World Cup campaign got off to the kind of start that makes a nation collectively reach for the espresso. Roberto Martinez’s side were held to a 1-1 draw by DR Congo in their Group K opener at NRG Stadium in Houston on June 17, managing just one shot on target across 90-plus minutes against a team playing in only their second World Cup ever.
João Neves headed home from a Pedro Neto cross in the 6th minute. Then DR Congo ripped the script in half.
A historic night for DR Congo
Yoane Wissa rose to meet a cross deep into first-half stoppage time, heading an equalizer in the 45+5th minute. It was DR Congo’s first-ever World Cup goal.
DR Congo (then Zaire) last appeared at a World Cup in 1974. That’s a 52-year gap between tournament appearances. The goal also secured DR Congo’s first-ever World Cup point.
The 68,777 fans inside NRG Stadium witnessed something genuinely rare: a team experiencing its biggest moment in international football history, in real time.
Ronaldo’s quiet night
Ronaldo started but struggled to influence the game in any meaningful way, part of a broader Portuguese attack that went remarkably quiet after the early Neves goal. One shot on target across the entire match. One. For a squad with the attacking depth Portugal possesses, that number borders on the inexplicable.
Group K implications
Both Portugal and DR Congo sit on 1 point after Matchday 1, level with Uzbekistan and Colombia, who also played on the opening day.
For Portugal, this draw doesn’t end their tournament. But it does change the math. A group that should have been straightforward now requires results against Colombia and Uzbekistan.
For DR Congo, they came to the US expecting to be competitive, and they’ve already proven they belong. Wissa’s goal will be replayed across the African continent for years regardless of what happens next.
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