Portugal held to 1-1 draw by DR Congo in their World Cup 2026 opener

Portugal held to 1-1 draw by DR Congo in their World Cup 2026 openerJoao Neves opens the scoring for Portugal with early goal, but Yoane Wissa equalises in first-half injury time.Cristiano Ronaldo’s record-equalling sixth World Cup got off to a disappointing start as the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) secured their first-ever point at the football finals, drawing 1-1 with Portugal in their Group K match.Yoane Wissa’s header cancelled out Joao Neves’s early goal on Wednesday, and the African side – appearing in their first World Cup since 1974, when their country was known as Zaire – more than held their own.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Messi hat-trick fires holders Argentina to win over Algeria at World Cuplist 2 of 4Haaland double powers Norway to World Cup win over Iraq in Bostonlist 3 of 4Which France and World Cup records did Mbappe break against Senegal?list 4 of 4Football upstages politics as Iranians rally behind their team at World Cupend of listPortugal’s Ronaldo, 41, was largely a peripheral figure throughout the match, failing to make the impact his great rival Lionel Messi had achieved on Tuesday in scoring a hat-trick against Algeria.The DRC’s achievement was even greater, given that their preparations had been disrupted by the Ebola outbreak back in their country.Some Portugal players were wearing wrist bands, given to them by their Prime Minister Luis Montenegro, in tribute to late teammate Diogo Jota, who was killed in a car crash last year.Portugal got off to the perfect start, with Neves powering home a header from Pedro Neto’s cross in the sixth minute.However, despite dominating possession, they lacked a cutting edge, and well into time added on in the first half, their opponents made them pay.Wissa rose unmarked to head past Diogo Costa in the Portuguese goal, sparking wild celebrations on the pitch, the bench and among the Congolese fans in the stadium as the Newcastle forward registered his country’s first-ever goal at a World Cup.Former Portuguese defensive bulwark Pepe, watching from the VIP seats, did not look impressed.Bernardo Silva had started the day by joining Real Madrid on a free transfer, but he ended it by watching from the bench after coach Roberto Martinez took him off at half-time.