Portugal opens with draw against DR Congo: Ronaldo pale, debate over his role reignited

Early lead, later loss of control

In the 45+5th minute, the "Léopards" struck ice-cold: after a short corner and a cross from Arthur Masuaku, Wissa headed in completely unmarked from the right edge of the box at the five-yard area to make it 1:1. For DR Congo, who had been forced to prepare in a 21-day isolation in Belgium rather than a training camp beforehand, it was the first-ever goal at a World Cup.

After the break, the match gradually petered out. A seemingly spectacular overhead kick by João Cancelo was ruled out for an offside position by nearly a meter (55'). At the other end, Bakambu (57') struck the crossbar. The Portuguese pushed forward but barely managed any dangerous attempts on goal.

Vitinha and Bruno Fernandes, both deployed in central midfield, failed to provide any vertical play. Vitinha registered 130 touches, Fernandes had 93 touches and only managed three harmless efforts late in the game. An xG of 0.84 against DR Congo underlines the Portuguese's lack of threat.

Midfield lacking punch

The main focus of attention away from the pitch was on Cristiano Ronaldo. At 41 years and 132 days, the captain is the oldest outfield player ever to start a FIFA final tournament match — making him the fourth-oldest player in World Cup history. The absolute age record remains held by Roger Milla, who came on as a substitute in 1994 at the age of 42.

Ronaldo, however, was pale on the pitch. He had just 25 touches — fewer than his goalkeeper Diogo Costa, who had 37. One effort from inside the box went wide of the goal (67'), another shot was hit too high (74'). Even in stoppage time, a headed flick-on by Ronaldo (92') to Rafael Leao in the box came to nothing.

Ronaldo a shadow of himself

Even before kick-off, the hype around the former world player of the year had the city firmly in its grip: thousands of people wore a shirt with the number 7 as Ronaldo stepped onto the pitch to warm up, drawing huge cheers. Former national team player Christoph Kramer said on ZDF that he would be interested "if you gave the whole squad truth serum, who would then say: I'd rather play with or without Ronaldo."

The Portuguese team is "so packed with world-class players that he can also take a little something away from them," Kramer continued. His World Cup-winning colleague Per Mertesacker added that Ronaldo is still fit and "at these events he still scores his goals." Thomas Müller said on MagentaTV that Portugal had been defended against "not just with many legs" but also "with a lot of quality in the duels."

Debate over the captain's role

Portugal's head coach Roberto Martínez had previously described Ronaldo as an "icon of world football." After the match, the superstar himself took to social media: "It wasn't the start we wanted, but it's far from over. We stand together."

For DR Congo, the draw was a historic moment. The "Léopards" are participating in a World Cup for only the second time, after 1974, when the then-Zaire became the first sub-Saharan team ever to take part in a final tournament and bowed out pointless with a goal difference of 0:14. The first point and the first goal at a World Cup were therefore a reason for the Congolese to celebrate. Their coach Sebastien Desabre spoke of a "very difficult game against a team that was stronger than us."

Historic point for DR Congo

The dropped point weighs all the heavier for Portugal because the next opponent is no easier: in Group K, Portugal faces Uzbekistan on June 23 (7 pm, live on ARD). Against the underdog, three points are once again the only acceptable result if Portugal wants to safely reach the knockout stage.

Outlook: Uzbekistan as a must-win

In the expanded tournament featuring 48 nations for the first time, 32 teams reach the knockout stage; alongside the two group winners, eight of the twelve third-placed teams also progress. The situation remains comfortable for Portugal, but the performance mandate for the veteran Ronaldo, with an eye on the upcoming challenges, is unmistakably clear.

João Neves himself was self-critical after the match: "In the end, the result we would have expected was, of course, the win." For the 21-year-old, it was an early statement in his 22nd international appearance, but given the team's lackluster performance, it offered only limited grounds for optimism.