Football legend Cristiano Ronaldo took to X on Wednesday (Thursday IST) to share a message after Portugal were held to a 1-1 draw by DR Congo in their opening Group K match of the FIFA World Cup 2026.
The 2016 European champions faced DR Congo at NRG Stadium in Houston and made a dream start to the contest, taking the lead in the sixth minute through a superb strike from midfielder João Neves. However, they were unable to maintain their advantage and had to settle for a point against the African nation.
A couple of hours after Portugal dropped points in front of 68,777 spectators, Ronaldo posted a message on X that quickly went viral.
The 41-year-old shared a picture of himself from the match and captioned it: “Não era o arranque que queríamos,
mas isto está longe de ter acabado. Cabeça levantada e foco no próximo jogo” (“It wasn’t the start we wanted, but this is far from over. Head up and focus on the next game”).
Here’s a look:
Não era o arranque que queríamos, mas isto está longe de ter acabado. Cabeça levantada e foco no próximo jogo. pic.twitter.com/YoH3RQcz9z
— Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano) June 17, 2026
There were high expectations from Ronaldo heading into the match against DR Congo, but the veteran forward failed to make an impact. In fact, he faced heavy criticism on social media for his below-par display in what many viewed as Portugal’s easiest group-stage fixture.
