HOUSTON: Portugal coach Roberto Martinez defended Cristiano Ronaldo’s role in the team after the veteran forward endured another difficult outing in Portugal’s 1-1 draw against the Democratic Republic of Congo in their opening FIFA World Cup 2026 match on Wednesday.
Ronaldo, 41, completed the full 90 minutes but failed to register a shot on target as Portugal dropped points in a match they had been expected to win comfortably.
The result extended the Portugal captain’s scoreless run to five consecutive World Cup matches and 10 straight appearances at major international tournaments. Ronaldo has not scored a non-penalty goal at either a FIFA World Cup or UEFA European Championship since June 2021.
Despite renewed criticism over the veteran’s place in the starting lineup, Martinez insisted there was no justification for substituting Portugal’s all-time leading scorer while the team was searching for a winning goal.
“It makes no sense to take off the best goal scorer in world football in a game when you need goals,” Martinez told reporters after the match.
Ronaldo, who has scored 143 international goals for Portugal, became only the second player in football history to appear in six FIFA World Cups, matching the record set by Lionel Messi.
However, while Messi celebrated the milestone with a hat-trick in Argentina’s opening match, Ronaldo was unable to make a decisive impact against a disciplined Congolese defence.
Portugal made an ideal start when Joao Neves opened the scoring in the sixth minute, but the early breakthrough failed to translate into sustained dominance.
DR Congo gradually grew into the contest and equalised through Yoane Wissa before halftime, earning the African nation its first-ever point at a FIFA World Cup.
Martinez acknowledged that Portugal lost momentum after taking the lead and allowed their opponents to regroup defensively.
“We started very well, but after scoring we became too cautious and lost control of the game,” the Portuguese coach said.
The draw leaves Portugal under pressure early in Group K and raises fresh questions about the team’s attacking effectiveness as well as Ronaldo’s continued role as a starter.
Portugal will seek their first victory of the tournament when they face Uzbekistan in Houston on Tuesday, while DR Congo will look to build on a historic result that has boosted their hopes of progressing beyond the group stage.