{"id":654,"date":"2026-06-18T11:35:23","date_gmt":"2026-06-18T11:35:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\/?p=654"},"modified":"2026-06-18T11:35:23","modified_gmt":"2026-06-18T11:35:23","slug":"cristiano-ronaldo-falls-flat-for-portugal-in-world-cup-opener-but-dr-congo-makes-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\/?p=654","title":{"rendered":"Cristiano Ronaldo falls flat for Portugal in World Cup opener but DR Congo makes history"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n

This was supposed to be the day Cristiano Ronaldo arrived at this World Cup.<\/p>\n

It didn\u2019t work out that way.<\/p>\n

\n
\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Portugal\u2019s talisman was under even more scrutiny than usual after Tuesday\u2019s World Cup games had been dominated by superhuman performances by superstar footballers \u2014 Erling Haaland scoring twice for Norway against Iraq, Kylian Mbappe getting his own brace against Senegal and then, most memorably, Lionel Messi\u2019s hat-trick against Algeria.<\/p>\n

Read more Court dates set for owners of dogs that killed Ocean View man, 71<\/a><\/p>\n

But Ronaldo could not match their feats. He struggled to make an impact on a dogged and determined DR Congo who claimed their first ever World Cup point thanks to Yoane Wissa\u2019s goal, which cancelled out Joao Neves\u2019 early opener.<\/p>\n

The stage was set for Ronaldo but, unlike the trio of goalscoring superstars on day six, international football\u2019s record goalscorer couldn\u2019t deliver.<\/p>\n

And we shouldn\u2019t be too surprised given Ronaldo\u2019s recent World Cup record.<\/p>\n

Aged 41, he remains prolific in qualification (five in five for this World Cup, 10 in nine for the last Euros) and for his club in Saudi Arabia (28 in 30 games for Al Nassr this season) but is impotent at major tournaments, with only one goal (a penalty) in his last 11 appearances across the 2022 World Cup, Euro 2024 and Portugal\u2019s first game here.<\/p>\n

For context, Messi has scored nine times in World Cup matches since Ronaldo netted from the spot in Portugal\u2019s opening group stage match against Ghana in 2022. They\u2019ll probably enjoy some WhatsApp banter about that later.<\/p>\n

While chances were at a premium here, Ronaldo\u2019s impact was minimal.<\/p>\n

He mostly attempted to act as a conduit for his younger, quicker, more mobile team mates, either by deliberately standing yards offside (which meant Portugal could play it wide behind DR\u2019s Congo high line, allowing him to be onside for the resulting cross) or trying to link play by occasionally coming deep.<\/p>\n

He had a couple of attempts at goal from Francisco Conceicao pull-backs, neither of which troubled the goalkeeper, on what was a frustrating afternoon in Houston.<\/p>\n

Any criticism of Ronaldo back home in Portugal, where he is hero-worshipped like no other, has mostly centred around manager Roberto Martinez\u2019s use of him. Ronaldo is pretty much guaranteed to play every minute regardless of his impact, whereas for a player of his age a substitute role may be more suitable.<\/p>\n

He predictably lasted the full 90 here. Also predictably, he offered very little.<\/p>\n

Historically, this result was not quite Saudi Arabia overcoming Argentina in 2022, or Senegal shocking defending champions France 20 years previously.<\/p>\n

Even during this tournament, Qatar\u2019s draw against Switzerland was a surprise, while Cape Verde somehow holding Spain to a stalemate earlier this week was one of the all-time World Cup shocks.<\/p>\n

Yet that should not diminish DR Congo\u2019s accomplishment. Portugal\u2019s talent pool, especially in midfield, is frankly outrageous and Roberto Martinez\u2019s side took a sixth-minute lead. DR Congo did not wilt, however, and actually had more shots and produced a higher expected goals (xG), despite their meagre possession.<\/p>\n

Defensively, led by their captain, former Newcastle defender Chancel Mbemba, they were immense and offered Portugal few clear-cut opportunities. There is an evident resilience and togetherness about them.<\/p>\n

For a team sitting 45th in FIFA\u2019s rankings to deservedly draw with one of the pre-tournament favourites and secure their first ever point at the World Cup warrants commendation. The scenes among the players and the pockets of fans inside the ground at full-time were wonderful to behold.<\/p>\n

With Uzbekistan and Colombia making up Group K, further positive results shouldn\u2019t be discounted.<\/p>\n

This is not the first time that one of the tournament favourites has looked unconvincing in their first World Cup game.<\/p>\n

Read more New-look Rainbows embark on their journey as summer session tips off<\/a><\/p>\n

When flicking through Portugal\u2019s squad, you could make an genuine argument that Roberto Martinez has the strongest pound-for-pound group of talent in the tournament \u2014 perhaps matched only by the French.<\/p>\n

The ultimate challenge is getting those individuals into a coherent, victorious team. Martinez might still achieve that, but there is little doubt that they will need to improve at the sharp end of the pitch.<\/p>\n

Portugal utterly dominated possession, circulating the ball with ease as they looked to break down DR Congo. The technical quality of Vitinha, Joao Neves, Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva could arguably keep the ball for a full 90 minutes if they were asked to, but cutting edge is also essential in tournament football.<\/p>\n

Yes, there is a Cristiano Ronaldo-shaped elephant in the room when it comes to Portugal\u2019s forward line, but he was not to blame for the bluntness that Martinez\u2019s side showed here. The lack of service to their all-time top goalscorer was more of a concern.<\/p>\n

Credit must also go to DR Congo, but a single shot on target highlights just how blunt Portugal were. Knocking the ball around for long periods is all well and good, but Martinez is going to need more creativity if they are to live up to that title of World Cup contenders.<\/p>\n

For all of Portugal\u2019s first-half dominance of the ball (80 per cent possession) they rarely threatened. DR Congo, on the other hand, were direct on the rare occasions they could attack \u2014 and it was Wissa who drove them forward, harrying defenders, pressing the goalkeeper, carrying possession with intent and trying to make things happen.<\/p>\n

Having whipped a left-footed shot wide of the left-hand post early on, Wissa levelled on the stroke of half-time. Arthur Masuaku whipped a great cross into the area after Portugal failed to clear a corner, and Wissa was inexplicably unmarked. Even so, the 29-year-old striker still timed his jump perfectly and directed his point-blank header into the net.<\/p>\n

That equaliser not only represented a huge goal for his country, but also for Wissa himself. His \u00a355m move to Newcastle from Brentford last summer has proven disastrous so far, with injuries plaguing his fitness and only three goals all season, while he did not start any of his club\u2019s final 22 matches.<\/p>\n

But the striker looked hungrier and fitter than he did in a Newcastle shirt across 2025-26. There was also an irony that Wissa, who turned down the chance to play at the Africa Cup of Nations so that he could perform for his club, was the scorer of their opening goal at this World Cup.<\/p>\n

Diogo Jota won\u2019t be far from the thoughts of Portugal\u2019s players or fans throughout the World Cup.<\/p>\n

Jota, who died alongside his brother Andre Silva in a car crash in July last year, would have been a central member of the Portugal squad and it was his dream to play in and win the tournament. He missed out in Qatar in 2022 due to injury.<\/p>\n

The brothers\u2019 parents Joaquim and Isabel Silva were VIP guests in Dallas and saw their late son honoured during the playing of the Portuguese national anthem, when a black and white image of Jota playing for Portugal was shown on the big screen.<\/p>\n

A number of players including Bernardo Silva and Joao Neves had tears in their eyes on the pitch, while in the stand Joaquim and Isabel were understandably upset. It was an incredibly emotional and poignant moment.<\/p>\n

Roberto Martinez said on the eve of the tournament: \u201cWhat matters now is that we get to fight for one of his dreams, which is winning the World Cup. There\u2019s no greater motivation than keeping his spirit alive in the national team.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

Read more Obituaries for June 18<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Cristiano Ronaldo falls flat for Portugal in World Cup opener but DR Congo makes history – Sports | Hawaii Tribune-Herald<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":653,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-654","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports"],"yoast_head":"\nCristiano Ronaldo falls flat for Portugal in World Cup opener but DR Congo makes history - Moving to Hawaii Guide<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\/?p=654\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Cristiano Ronaldo falls flat for Portugal in World Cup opener but DR Congo makes history - Moving to Hawaii Guide\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Cristiano Ronaldo falls flat for Portugal in World Cup opener but DR Congo makes history - Sports | Hawaii Tribune-Herald\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\/?p=654\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Moving to Hawaii Guide\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-06-18T11:35:23+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\\\/?p=654#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\\\/?p=654\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/aab134479722ebfc548519f5ae92ff84\"},\"headline\":\"Cristiano Ronaldo falls flat for Portugal in World Cup opener but DR Congo makes history\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-18T11:35:23+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\\\/?p=654\"},\"wordCount\":1290,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\\\/?p=654#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/3b3ddb7581189ba8d3ea25d76ed0111c.webp\",\"articleSection\":[\"Sports\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\\\/?p=654#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\\\/?p=654\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\\\/?p=654\",\"name\":\"Cristiano Ronaldo falls flat for Portugal in World Cup opener but DR Congo makes history - Moving to Hawaii Guide\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\\\/?p=654#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\\\/?p=654#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/3b3ddb7581189ba8d3ea25d76ed0111c.webp\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-18T11:35:23+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/aab134479722ebfc548519f5ae92ff84\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\\\/?p=654#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\\\/?p=654\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\\\/?p=654#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/3b3ddb7581189ba8d3ea25d76ed0111c.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/3b3ddb7581189ba8d3ea25d76ed0111c.webp\",\"width\":760,\"height\":475},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\\\/?p=654#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Cristiano Ronaldo falls flat for Portugal in World Cup opener but DR Congo makes history\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"Moving to Hawaii Guide\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/aab134479722ebfc548519f5ae92ff84\",\"name\":\"admin\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"admin\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\\\/?author=1\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Cristiano Ronaldo falls flat for Portugal in World Cup opener but DR Congo makes history - Moving to Hawaii Guide","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\/?p=654","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Cristiano Ronaldo falls flat for Portugal in World Cup opener but DR Congo makes history - Moving to Hawaii Guide","og_description":"Cristiano Ronaldo falls flat for Portugal in World Cup opener but DR Congo makes history - Sports | Hawaii Tribune-Herald","og_url":"https:\/\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\/?p=654","og_site_name":"Moving to Hawaii Guide","article_published_time":"2026-06-18T11:35:23+00:00","author":"admin","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"admin","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\/?p=654#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\/?p=654"},"author":{"name":"admin","@id":"https:\/\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\/#\/schema\/person\/aab134479722ebfc548519f5ae92ff84"},"headline":"Cristiano Ronaldo falls flat for Portugal in World Cup opener but DR Congo makes history","datePublished":"2026-06-18T11:35:23+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\/?p=654"},"wordCount":1290,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\/?p=654#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/3b3ddb7581189ba8d3ea25d76ed0111c.webp","articleSection":["Sports"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\/?p=654#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\/?p=654","url":"https:\/\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\/?p=654","name":"Cristiano Ronaldo falls flat for Portugal in World Cup opener but DR Congo makes history - Moving to Hawaii Guide","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\/?p=654#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\/?p=654#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/3b3ddb7581189ba8d3ea25d76ed0111c.webp","datePublished":"2026-06-18T11:35:23+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\/#\/schema\/person\/aab134479722ebfc548519f5ae92ff84"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\/?p=654#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\/?p=654"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\/?p=654#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/3b3ddb7581189ba8d3ea25d76ed0111c.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/3b3ddb7581189ba8d3ea25d76ed0111c.webp","width":760,"height":475},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\/?p=654#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Cristiano Ronaldo falls flat for Portugal in World Cup opener but DR Congo makes history"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\/","name":"Moving to Hawaii Guide","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\/#\/schema\/person\/aab134479722ebfc548519f5ae92ff84","name":"admin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"admin"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/movingtohawaiiguide.com"],"url":"https:\/\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\/?author=1"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/654","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=654"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/654\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/653"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=654"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=654"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=654"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}