Portugal v DR Congo: Wissa’s Historic Header Earns Leopards First World Cup Point As Ronaldo Misfires

• Yoane Wissa scored DR Congo’s first-ever World Cup goal to earn a 1-1 draw with Portugal in their Group K opener at Houston Stadium.
• Joao Neves had given Portugal a sixth-minute lead with a header, but Les Leopards fought back to claim a historic point 52 years after their tournament debut in 1974.
• Cristiano Ronaldo became the oldest outfield player to start a World Cup match at 41 years and 132 days, making his 23rd World Cup appearance to draw level with Paolo Maldini on the all-time list.

DR Congo Write New Chapter as Ronaldo’s Goal Drought in Major Competitions Continues

DR Congo claimed their first World Cup goal and first World Cup point as Wissa’s first half stoppage-time header pegged back Portugal in a compelling Group K encounter in Houston. Les Leopards, playing at the tournament for the first time in 52 years, showed courage and resilience to deny a Portuguese side that started brightly but lost their way after taking an early lead. For Cristiano Ronaldo, appearing at a record-equaling sixth World Cup, it was another frustrating afternoon as his goal drought in major competitions extended to 10 consecutive matches.

Portugal made the stronger start and were ahead inside six minutes. Pedro Neto swung an inviting cross into the box and Neves rose highest to power a header past Lionel Mpasi. It was the Arsenal midfielder’s first World Cup goal, and at that point Portugal looked set to cruise through the afternoon.

The early goal had the opposite of its intended effect. Rather than building on their advantage, Portugal retreated into passive possession and allowed DR Congo to reorganize. Sebastien Desabre’s side grew into the match, and Wissa curled a left-footed effort narrowly wide of Diogo Costa’s goal after 10 minutes to signal that Les Leopards would not be overawed by the occasion.

DR Congo continued to threaten, and moments before halftime they produced a historic moment. Arthur Masuaku floated a cross toward the far post and Wissa powered a header past Costa to score DR Congo’s first World Cup goal, 52 years after the nation made their debut at the 1974 tournament in West Germany. The celebrations were emotional and prolonged.

“I’m obviously very proud today because we’ve worked extremely hard. It was a very difficult match against a team that was stronger than us. But we showed courage and resilience. Scoring our first goal is a huge source of pride because it reflects the character of this team. The most important thing now is to keep going,” Wissa said.

Joao Cancelo thought he had restored Portugal’s lead shortly after the restart when the full back’s spectacular overhead kick found the back of the net, but the goal was ruled out for offside. DR Congo, buoyed by their equalizer, continued to probe and center back Steve Kapuadi headed wide as Desabre’s players sensed something special was within reach.

Ronaldo fired two half-chances off target as Portugal searched for a winner. The 41-year-old, who became only the second player after Messi to appear at six World Cups, was held scoreless for the fifth consecutive World Cup match and the 10th straight game in major competitions. He generated three shot attempts across the 90 minutes and put none on target. It was the sixth time the Al Nassr striker finished a World Cup match without a shot on goal.

Martinez was adamant that substituting Ronaldo had never been an option. “It makes no sense to get the best goal scorer in world football out in a game that you need goals,” the Portugal coach said.

Martinez diagnosed the root of his side’s struggles as emotional rather than tactical. “We started very, very well. Our level, our control, the way we got into the penalty area. Scoring the goal, which is normally a moment when the emotion of scoring helps you keep control of the match and try to score a second goal, had the opposite effect. Instead, it made us want to keep possession of the ball. We gave Congo the opportunity to reorganize their defensive structure and set up their counterattacks, and we lost a lot of depth. That helped Congo,” he said.

The Portugal coach insisted there was no cause for alarm after one game. “The World Cup is a tournament where these things happen. Argentina lost to Saudi Arabia [in 2022] and then went on to win the World Cup. In 2010, Spain lost to Switzerland and then won the World Cup. Those weren’t performances that looked like those of eventual champions, but that’s part of the process,” Martinez said. “What we’re talking about here is the first match of a World Cup. Today, after we scored the opening goal, those emotions had a negative effect on our performance. We stopped taking risks, we stopped looking for space, we stopped reaching the final third. That was more a matter of emotion than of tactics or technique. It happens. It’s part of the World Cup. Now we evaluate it and improve for the second match.”

Desabre was bursting with pride on the other side of the tunnel. “The players showed incredible commitment and selflessness. We executed the game plan exactly as we wanted, scored from a set piece, and honestly, I am very proud of my players because they represented the Congo in a very positive way and the entire country deserves it,” the DR Congo coach said.

Neves, named Player of the Match for his early goal and tireless midfield display, struck a humble tone. “It was my first World Cup match, and I’m happy with my performance. But, as I always say, what matters is the team. There are things we need to improve. What we really need are victories. The squad is united and determined to get better,” Neves said.

DR Congo became the second African nation to produce a strong opening result against European opposition at this tournament, following Cabo Verde’s goalless draw with Spain two days earlier. Portugal face Uzbekistan on Tuesday in Houston, while DR Congo will look to build on this historic point when Group K continues. Colombia and Uzbekistan are yet to play their opening match.

WRITTEN BY

Jarrod

Jarrod Partridge is the Founder of Futbol Chronicle and an accredited journalist with over 30 years of experience following international football. A member of the AIPS International Sports Press Association, Jarrod has covered matches at stadiums around the world, bringing first-hand insight to every match report, player profile, and tactical analysis he writes.

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