Roberto Martinez jumps to Cristiano Ronaldo's defence after listless draw with DR Congo at 2026 FIFA World Cup - but the stats paint a stark picture

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With Portugal one of the last teams to make their appearance at the 2026 World Cup, there was a lot of anticipation for Cristiano Ronaldo to finally take to the field in Houston on Wednesday against DR Congo.

'I think that he's also anxious' - Bruno on Ronaldo ahead of Portugal opener

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That was only heightened by the performance of his long-time rival Lionel Messi on Tuesday, with the Argentinian scoring a hat-trick as the reigning champions began their campaign to retain their title with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Algeria.

So, when Ronaldo took to the pitch in Houston to face DR Congo in Portugal's opening game of the tournament, the expectation was through the roof.

In doing so, Ronaldo became the oldest outfield player to start a match in World Cup history at the age of 41 years and 132 days.

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But when the game kicked off, Ronaldo's performance failed to live up to the hype.

The Al Nassr forward was largely anonymous throughout the 90 minutes, although his smart position in the box did help Joao Neves open the scoring for Portugal in the sixth minute.

But Ronaldo often cut an isolated figure up front for Roberto Martinez's side, struggling to get involved in open play and feeding off scraps in the box, despite the array of attacking talent Portugal boast.

The game ended in a 1-1 draw, with Yoane Wissa's header earning DR Congo their first ever World Cup point, and the statistics highlight how ineffective Ronaldo was.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner had just 25 touches, which is his fewest in a major tournament game for Portugal when he played the full 90 minutes, according to Opta.

Opta added that Ronaldo's blank means he has now failed to score in 10 consecutive major tournament matches - both the World Cup and Euros - a run which includes 33 shots and 11 on target.

To put that into perspective, Messi has scored nine times at the World Cup since Ronaldo last did so, also picking up a winners' medal along the way.

Despite Ronaldo being largely absent from play, Martinez decided to keep his captain on the field for the full match, instead rotating the cast around him in the hopes of a change in attacking form.

And whether it be Ronaldo's performance or a general rustiness, it all contributed to a disjointed attacking display for Portugal, which was also shown in the statistics.

Portugal's seven shots were their joint-fewest in a World Cup match. They managed an expected goals (xG) of 0.64, while their opponents had 0.82 xG.

According to Opta, their possession of 75.4% is the highest on their records (since 1966) by a team who had fewer shots than their opponent in a World Cup match.

Afterwards, Martinez said his side had to do a better job at feeding Ronaldo, rather than make a personnel change.

"It makes no sense to get the best goalscorer in world football out in a game that you need goals," he said. "For us in moments like this, the experience of Cristiano in the box is important. The way that he attracts defenders is important, the way ⁠that we can use the space is important.

"And every player has a responsibility or a piece of quality on the pitch. And clearly when you look for goals, you need to have Cristiano."

Portugal have games against Uzbekistan and Colombia left in Group K.

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