At 41 years old, Ronaldo is the oldest outfield player ever to feature in a World Cup . He made his World Cup debut in 2006 and has now played across six consecutive editions spanning 20 years
. Only three players have appeared in more career World Cup matches than Ronaldo's 23: Messi (27), Lothar Matthäus (25), and Miroslav Klose (24)
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The match itself was a shock to the tournament's expectations. João Neves scored for Portugal in the 6th minute, but Yoane Wissa equalized for DR Congo just before halftime (45'+5') with a header off a cross from Arthur Masuaku . The 1-1 draw gave DR Congo its first-ever World Cup point and — via Wissa's goal — its first-ever World Cup goal in tournament history
. Attendance was 68,777 at NRG Stadium in Houston
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Ronaldo failed to score and did not register a single shot on target in the full 90 minutes . He remains on 8 World Cup goals in 23 career World Cup matches, well behind Miroslav Klose's all-time record of 16
. Messi, by contrast, scored a wonder goal against Algeria to take his World Cup tally to 14
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Ronaldo has never won the World Cup. Portugal's best result was a third-place finish in 1966 and a fourth-place finish in 2006. This tournament is widely described as Ronaldo's "last dance" to finally capture the elusive trophy . He has won the Euros (2016) and the Nations League (2019, 2025) with Portugal, but his holy grail remains the World Cup
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Veteran defender Pepe, Ronaldo's long-time Portugal teammate, did not make the 2026 World Cup squad after retiring from professional football in August 2024, just before the start of the 2024-25 Primeira Liga season . Pepe earned 141 caps for Portugal and was a member of the team that beat France in the Euro 2016 final
. Roberto Martínez's 2026 squad featured 11 changes from the 2022 Qatar World Cup roster
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DR Congo qualified for the World Cup for the first time since 1974 (then as Zaire) . The 1-1 draw gave them their first-ever World Cup point and — via Wissa's goal — their first-ever World Cup goal in tournament history
. Yoane Wissa's equalizer was more than a goal: it was a moment of national pride for a country that had waited 52 years for its next World Cup moment
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