The Democratic Republic of the Congo arrived in Houston and was not intimidated by their opponent, the venue, or even Cristiano Ronaldo. The team displayed solid defensive work and created dangerous scoring opportunities to earn an important 1-1 draw against Portugal in the first match of Group K.
And 52 years later, albeit under a different name, DR Congo made its return to the World Cup (it had last appeared in 1974 as Zaire) and made history.
But Portugal, one of the tournament’s so-called “favorites,” took the lead. Portuguese midfielder João Neves opened the scoring with a lethal header off an assist from Pedro Neto just six minutes into the match.
Just when it seemed a rout was on the horizon and a historic day for Cristiano Ronaldo was within reach, nothing could have been further from the truth. The Congo players regrouped, tightened their defense, and just before halftime, Yoane Wissa scored the game-tying goal with a header off a cross from Arthur Masuaku. This goal marked a historic milestone as it was the DR Congo’s first goal in World Cup history.
In the second half, despite Portugal’s efforts to create opportunities, Cristiano Ronaldo fired two wayward shots that drew roars from the stands, the vast majority of which were supporting the Portuguese side. In the end, after a few tense moments between players from both teams, there was no time for more.
Cristiano Ronaldo will have to wait at least until June 23 to become the first player in history to score in six consecutive World Cups. On that day, also in Houston, Portugal will face Uzbekistan.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Republic of the Congo returns to Guadalajara, the city where it secured its World Cup berth in the playoff. There, they will kick off against Colombia also on the 23rd.
