Story

Portugal 1-1 Congo DR: Wissa Stuns Ronaldo Late

Jun 17, 2026

Portugal supporters at NRG Stadium, where their side were held to a 1-1 draw by DR Congo on June 17

Portugal dominated the ball from the first whistle and led inside six minutes. In the end none of it counted for much. DR Congo dropped deep, took everything Portugal threw at them, and waited for the one chance they trusted would come. It arrived on the stroke of half-time: Yoane Wissa climbed to head the Léopards level, and Portugal never really found their rhythm again. The 1-1 draw at NRG Stadium will sting, because Cristiano Ronaldo's side had three-quarters of the ball and walked off with one shot on target and two dropped points.

João Neves headed Portugal ahead on six minutes from a Pedro Neto cross, and for a while it looked routine. But Portugal could not add a second, and on 45+5 Arthur Masuaku swung in a cross from a corner for Wissa to head home. Portugal finished with 75% possession but only one shot on target, a number that explains how a game they dominated ended level.

How did DR Congo hold Ronaldo's Portugal to a draw?

By refusing to chase the game and trusting that one chance would come. DR Congo conceded early — Pedro Neto crossed from the right and João Neves met it with a header into the bottom-right corner inside six minutes — and a lesser side might have folded. Instead the Léopards dropped deep, packed the centre, and dared Portugal to break them down.

Portugal could not. The longer the half wore on, the more laboured the Seleção looked, and the warning went unheeded. On the stroke of half-time DR Congo won a corner, Arthur Masuaku floated the second-phase ball back in, and Yoane Wissa got across his marker to head into the top-left corner. 1-1, and the momentum had flipped on a single set-piece.

Why couldn't Portugal find a second goal?

The numbers tell their own story: 75.4% possession, seven shots, one on target. Portugal knocked it around the edge of a deep block for long stretches and hardly ever found the pass or the finish to break through it. Cristiano Ronaldo saw little of the ball in dangerous areas, and the supply that beat DR Congo for the opener — Neto's early cross — dried up as the Léopards adjusted.

It was the kind of performance that flatters the possession count and hides the lack of cutting edge. Portugal came into the tournament with the depth we set out in our breakdown of the Portugal World Cup 2026 squad, and on this evidence the talent is there but the killer instinct was missing. One shot on target against a Pot 3 side is not the platform a group favourite wants.

What does Wissa's goal mean for DR Congo?

More than the table will show. A point against a Pot 1 side, on the road against one of the tournament's biggest names, is the kind of result that can shape a whole group. And they earned it the hard way, with 24.6% of the ball and eight shots to Portugal's seven — two of them on target. Wissa's header was the reward for an hour and a half of patient, disciplined defending.

It changes how the section feels, too. A team plenty of people had written off as makeweights now sit level with Portugal after one round, with everything still to play for in Group K.

What does this mean for Group K?

It blows Group K open. Portugal were tipped to win the group comfortably; instead they sit on a single point and now need results against Colombia and Uzbekistan to be sure of advancing. The margin for error they expected to enjoy is already gone.

For Ronaldo, in what is set to be his final World Cup, it is a frustrating start — control without reward, and a late goal conceded that will sting. Portugal have the players to put it right, but the draw is a reminder that in a 48-team tournament, the supposed mismatches bite back. DR Congo made sure of that.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the score in Portugal vs DR Congo at World Cup 2026?

Portugal 1-1 DR Congo. The sides drew their Group K opener at NRG Stadium in Houston on June 17, 2026. João Neves scored for Portugal and Yoane Wissa equalised for DR Congo in first-half stoppage time.

Who scored in Portugal 1-1 DR Congo?

João Neves headed Portugal in front on six minutes, finishing a Pedro Neto cross. Yoane Wissa equalised for DR Congo on 45+5, heading in from close range after an Arthur Masuaku cross following a corner.

Did Cristiano Ronaldo score against DR Congo?

No. Cristiano Ronaldo did not score, and Portugal as a whole managed just one shot on target despite dominating possession. The breakthrough came instead from young midfielder João Neves, and Portugal could not find a second goal to settle the game.

How did DR Congo get a draw with only 25% possession?

DR Congo defended deep, stayed compact, and made their rare moments count. They had just 24.6% of the ball but registered eight shots to Portugal's seven, and Yoane Wissa's stoppage-time header from a Masuaku cross punished Portugal for failing to turn control into chances.

What does the result mean for World Cup 2026 Group K?

It is a dropped point that leaves Portugal needing results against Colombia and Uzbekistan in Group K. For DR Congo, holding a Pot 1 side is a major boost to their hopes of advancing from a group many expected Portugal and Colombia to dominate.

Data sources

Published: Jun 17, 2026