Cristiano Ronaldo held scoreless in Portugal's 1-1 draw with Congo
Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Jun 17, 2026, 10:47 PM
Last updated Jun 17, 2026
Portugal and Congo played to a 1-1 draw in their World Cup opener on June 17, 2026. Cristiano Ronaldo, competing in his sixth World Cup, did not score despite several attempts. The match saw other star players find the net earlier in the tournament, which further highlighted Ronaldo's struggles. Portugal coach Roberto Martínez defended Ronaldo, emphasizing his importance to the team. The game marked a historic moment as Ronaldo became the oldest outfield player to start a World Cup match.
- •Ronaldo did not score in a match where he had multiple chances.
- •Congo's Ngal’ayel Mukau discussed Ronaldo's reduced impact due to age.
- •Portugal's next matches are against Uzbekistan and Colombia.
- •Ronaldo set the record for the oldest outfield player at a World Cup.
- 10:47 PMYahoo Sports — Portugal great Ronaldo fails to score in a surprising 1-1 draw against Congo at the World Cup
"Cristiano Ronaldo delivered a pretty forgettable performance in the first match of his sixth World Cup. After Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland all scored in their opening matches, the 41-year-old Ronaldo couldn’t find the net Wednesday in Portugal's 1-1 draw with Congo. With players like Vinícius Júnior, Christian Pulisic, Viktor Gyökeres and Harry Kane also all scoring early in this year's World Cup, Ronaldo being held scoreless stands out even more.
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