Yoane Wissa’s stoppage-time header earned DR Congo a historic 1-1 draw with Portugal in their Group K opener at Houston Stadium on 17 June, but the result was almost secondary to the conversation it ignited. Cristiano Ronaldo, 41, played the full 90 minutes in front of 68,777 fans and produced a performance that did little to silence those who believe he is no longer the player Portugal need at the centre of their World Cup campaign.
Joao Neves had given Portugal an early lead, rising to head Pedro Neto’s lofted cross in the sixth minute. But DR Congo, at their first World Cup since 1974, refused to be overrun, and Wissa’s header from Arthur Masuaku’s cross in first-half stoppage time earned them a point their discipline deserved. It was DR Congo’s first-ever World Cup goal, scored on their 32nd attempt across all appearances in the competition.
Portugal completed a tournament-high 724 passes, dominated possession throughout the second half, but created almost nothing of substance. A Joao Cancelo overhead kick was ruled out for offside in the 55th minute. Bruno Fernandes sent a late effort wide from the edge of the box in the 91st minute. Portugal’s only shot on target across the entire match was Neves’ opening goal.
For much of the evening, Ronaldo was not so much ineffective as simply absent. He recorded just 25 touches, the fewest of any Portugal player who featured for more than 45 minutes, and his six ball carries covered a combined 49.4 metres. That is the movement profile of a player making short, sharp adjustments inside the box rather than one imposing himself on a match. He completed 19 of 21 passes at 90.5 per cent accuracy, kept things tidy in distribution, but registered zero key passes and zero crosses. Portugal’s chance creation did not flow through him at any point.
His three shots all came from inside the box and none troubled the goalkeeper. His expected goals tally of 0.46 suggests at least one half-chance was present, but the shot value figure of minus 0.77 reflects how poorly each effort was directed. He won two of three aerial duels, which is the statistic of a striker doing his basic work in the box, but nothing more. It was a performance defined by its absence of impact rather than any glaring individual error.
The two second-half chances told the clearest story. Both arrived as cutbacks from the byline, and both were directed wide of the near post. They were not sitters, but they were the kind of opportunities a Ronaldo in his prime would have buried without thought. Thierry Henry, analysing the second chance on FOX Sports, noted that had Ronaldo moved into the six-yard box rather than attempting to finish himself, Fernandes would have had a tap-in. The movement he chose was the movement of a player thinking about his own goal tally rather than the team’s.
The most telling moment, though, was not either of those misses. A cross arrived at the far post shortly afterwards, the kind of delivery Ronaldo spent a decade attacking with devastating timing and power. This time, he did not leave the ground. The ball was cleared by Chancel Mbemba with a routine header that would once have been one of the most dangerous situations in world football. Whether the leap was beyond him physically or simply a lapse in concentration, the image was difficult to ignore.
Ronaldo was defiant when he addressed the result afterwards. “Nothing was lacking,” the 41-year-old told reporters. “That’s football. Portugal could have won, but they could also have lost.” On Instagram, he struck a similar tone. “It wasn’t the start we wanted, but this is far from over. Heads up and focus on the next game,” he wrote.
DR Congo’s players were too respectful to say it plainly after the match, but midfielder Ngal’ayel Mukau came close. “We know he isn’t the same as before, so we knew he would run less,” he said. “It’s normal, he’s a bit older.” That an opponent could walk away from a match against Ronaldo feeling that relaxed about containing him is itself a damning verdict.
The wider numbers reinforce how far the decline has stretched. This was the tenth consecutive major tournament match in which Ronaldo has failed to score. His last non-penalty goal in either a World Cup or European Championship came in June 2021, five years ago. He is 41, playing in his sixth World Cup, and surrounded by a Portugal squad that many consider the most talented in the country’s history. The question Martinez cannot avoid for much longer is whether Ronaldo’s presence at the centre of that team is helping or limiting what they can achieve.
After the final whistle, Ronaldo walked directly towards the tunnel. He paused halfway, turned back to shake hands with teammates and opponents, then continued alone while most of his squad returned to the centre circle to applaud the fans. It was not a deliberate act, but as an image it captured something real about where he now stands in relation to this Portugal team. Slightly apart. Slightly behind. Already heading somewhere else.
