18/06/2026 13:46 - Deportes
Cristiano Ronaldo con expresión de frustración durante partido del Mundial 2026 con camiseta de Portugal, estadio lleno con hinchas portugueses en segundo plano
The draw between Portugal and the Democratic Republic of Congo in Group K of the 2026 World Cup left more than just a single point for each team. A comment at the end of the match ignited social media and sparked an intense debate about the current form of Cristiano Ronaldo.
At the end of the match played in Houston, a player from the African national team made a comment that quickly went viral: "He's no longer the same", referring to Cristiano Ronaldo. The statement triggered an immediate wave of reactions on social media, where users compared the Portuguese star's performance to that of other tournament figures.
While Lionel Messi had scored a hat-trick in Argentina's opener, Kylian Mbappé netted two goals with France, and Erling Haaland also shined with his national team, Ronaldo failed to convert and wasted two clear goal opportunities in minutes 68 and 73.
The match ended 1-1 at the Houston stadium. João Neves opened the scoring for Portugal at 6 minutes, but Yoane Wissa equalized in first-half stoppage time (45+1).
Ronaldo, who played his sixth World Cup (a record shared with Messi), had a subdued performance and couldn't celebrate his first goal in the tournament. The Portuguese forward later posted a message reassuring Portuguese fans.
| Result | Portugal 1 - 1 DR Congo |
| Goals | Neves (6') / Wissa (45+1') |
| Venue | Houston, United States |
| Group | Group K |
| Missed chances CR7 | 2 (68' and 73') |
Portugal has 1 point and will play their next match on 06/23/2026 against Uzbekistan.
Cristiano Ronaldo equaled the record of six World Cups played, a mark he shares with Lionel Messi after the Argentine's debut the previous day. However, while Messi shined with a hat-trick against Algeria, Ronaldo's performance raised doubts about his ability to remain decisive in football's highest competition.
The Democratic Republic of Congo is a Central African nation with a rich footballing history. Their national team, known as "The Leopards", has qualified for several Africa Cup of Nations tournaments. Yoane Wissa, who scored the equalizer, plays for Brentford in the English Premier League and is one of the team's key attacking threats alongside captain Chancel Mbemba.
Source: TN Deportes | TyC Sports
Alfredo S. Quiroga
