Mbappe, Haaland, and Messi Shine on World Cup Opening Day
On Tuesday, three of football's biggest stars made significant impacts in the 2026 World Cup. Kylian Mbappe scored twice against Senegal, becoming France's all-time leading goalscorer. Norway's Erling Haaland marked his World Cup debut with two goals in a win over Iraq. Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick for Argentina against Algeria, equaling Miroslav Klose as the joint-leading goalscorer in World Cup finals history.
Ronaldo Fails to Make Mark in Portugal's Draw with DR Congo
On Wednesday, Cristiano Ronaldo had the opportunity to continue the trend but was unable to do so. Portugal struggled to a 1-1 draw against DR Congo, with Ronaldo finding it difficult to influence the game. The Portugal captain was seeking to become the first player to score in six different World Cups but did not manage to score.
Criticism of Portugal Manager's Decision to Keep Ronaldo on Field
Chris Sutton, former Premier League striker and BBC Radio 5 Live commentator, criticized Portugal manager Roberto Martinez for keeping the 41-year-old Ronaldo on the pitch for the entire match in Houston. When Goncalo Ramos replaced midfielder Vitinha in the 83rd minute, Sutton remarked:
"That's embarrassing from Martinez. It might work but are we all watching a different game? He's scared to take him off. He's not the manager. He (Ronaldo) may end up scoring the winner but the game has passed him by today."
DR Congo Earn First World Cup Point
Before the match, former England captain Wayne Rooney commented on Ronaldo's mindset, saying:
"That's how he's pushed himself and his mentality is that everything is a challenge for him. Over the years, him and Messi have pushed each other to get to these levels. He wants to be the best and that's not in a bad way. He'll want to go out there and score two or three tonight to show he's still at that level."
Despite this, Portugal's opening group match did not go as planned. Portugal took an early lead in the sixth minute when Pedro Neto's left-wing cross was headed in by Paris Saint-Germain's Joao Neves. However, Newcastle forward Yoane Wissa equalized for DR Congo just before halftime. Portugal dominated possession with 75% but managed only seven attempts on goal, with just one on target—the goal by Neves.
Ronaldo's Missed Chances and Limited Impact
Ronaldo, who plays for Al-Nassr and is nearing 1,000 career goals for club and country, had two chances in quick succession midway through the second half. Half-time substitute Francisco Conceicao twice cut the ball back to him from the right. The first chance was slightly behind Ronaldo, resulting in a tame effort that went past the near post. The second opportunity was better positioned, but Ronaldo was pressured by the DR Congo defense and his shot went wide.
Ronaldo recorded only 25 touches during the match, the fewest among Portugal's outfield players who played the full 90 minutes.
He has now gone ten consecutive games at major tournaments without scoring. Rooney commented at full-time:
"His stats will never be the best. What he needs is chances. If he gets good chances, he'll score goals."
Analysis of Ronaldo's Influence on Teammates
Rooney and former France internationals Gael Clichy and Olivier Giroud suggested that Conceicao might have been better off shooting himself rather than setting up Ronaldo for the first chance. Clichy also noted that Ronaldo's superstar status might unconsciously affect how teammates play:
"We said at the beginning of the game that Ronaldo will be helping young players because of his character and experience, but sometimes unconsciously those kinds of players can kind of take too much light. In the first chance, maybe if it was not Ronaldo, he (Conceicao) would have had a go at goal. I've lived it with some players at Arsenal and Manchester City, where you feel that the player is such an important player, unconsciously he's taking everything from every player. I'm not saying it's right or wrong, but when you take them out, you can see players taking responsibility."
Clichy clarified that this situation is not necessarily Ronaldo's fault and emphasized the importance of the manager's decisions:
"This is normal and this is where the choice of the manager is important because during the 90 minutes, we were saying, 'Is he going to take him out because we know he's got a goal in him?' But at the same time, we know the game is sometimes not natural because of him being on the pitch."
- Play 's new World Cup predictor game
- World Cup fixtures and group standings
- How to watch the World Cup on the BBC
- Everything you need to know about the World Cup
