At 41, Ronaldo became the oldest outfield player to start a World Cup match and joined Messi as the only players to appear at six World Cups. Portugal dominated possession but Ronaldo had just 25 touches, the fewest of any Portugal starter and his second fewest across 23 World Cup appearances. Seventeen of his 22 attempted passes went backwards. He took three shots, all off target, and missed two close range chances in the second half. DR Congo equaliser scorer Yoane Wissa had 10 more touches than Ronaldo, while substitute Rafael Leao managed 14 touches after coming on in the 72nd minute.
Ronaldo has now gone 10 games without scoring at a major tournament. His eight World Cup goals have all come in group stage games, and his only strike at Qatar 2022 was a penalty against Ghana. Portugal still face Uzbekistan on Tuesday and Colombia on the following Saturday in Group K.
Portugal head coach Roberto Martinez defended leaving Ronaldo on the pitch after the match.
It makes no sense to get the best goalscorer in world football out in a game that you need goals.
Martinez added that Ronaldo's experience in the box and ability to attract defenders remained important, saying the lead attacker needed to be close to the six yard box with service into that area.
