Los Angeles, United States: Cristiano Ronaldo played in a record-equalling sixth World Cup on Wednesday but his Portugal side were held to a 1-1 draw by Democratic Republic of Congo before England began their bid to end their 60-year wait for a trophy.
Portuguese great Ronaldo, 41, equaled the record set by his old nemesis Lionel Messi on Tuesday, but he struggled against a determined Congolese defense in Houston.
Get Updated Faster & FREE: Download the Gulf News app now – just click here.
Joao Neves opened the scoring for Portugal in the first half, but Yoane Wissa of English Premier League club Newcastle equalized with a header in first-half injury time to give the Congolese their first World Cup point.
The DRC’s achievement was even greater given that their preparations have been disrupted by the Ebola outbreak in their country.
“It is an immense source of pride to have earned DR Congo their first ever FIFA World Cup point, as well as their first goal,” said their coach Sebastien Desabre.
“I am very proud of my players because they represent Congo in a very positive way and the whole country deserves that.”
Meanwhile, several Portugal players wore armbands in honor of late teammate Diogo Jota, who was killed in a car crash last year.
Ronaldo had a tough act to follow after Messi scored a spectacular hat-trick for Argentina on Tuesday to equal the all-time World Cup goalscoring record, making a mockery of his 38 years.
England begin their challenge against Croatia and are among the favorites after a string of narrow defeats in recent tournaments, but history weighs heavily on a side that last won the World Cup on the ground in 1966.
Captain Harry Kane urged his teammates to “go for it” and be “free in the mind” when they face the beaten 2018 finalists at the massive AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
“It’s certainly one of the best opportunities we’ll have as a team to win it,” Kane said on Tuesday.
“I think everyone is keen to get off to a good start tomorrow and prove we have the skills to go far in this tournament.
“At the end of the day, for me, the message is just to be free in the mind.”
In other games on Wednesday, Ghana face Panama in Toronto in England’s Group L.
Next, first-time qualifiers Uzbekistan face Colombia at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City in Group K, the same group as Portugal.
The magic of Messi
On a remarkable Tuesday, Messi began his 200th international cap by claiming a piece of history by becoming the first man to play in six World Cups as he led Argentina onto the pitch at Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium.
The game marked exactly 20 years since Messi’s first World Cup appearance.
He stamped his class on proceedings with an unforgettable hat-trick — the first of his World Cup career.
A 17th-minute strike took his World Cup goals tally to 14, putting him alongside Germany legend Gerd Mueller and France superstar Kylian Mbappe on the all-time list.
He overcame Mueller and Mbappe to join Brazilian great Ronaldo on 15 goals in the 60th minute after pouncing on a rebound to make it 2-0.
In the 76th minute, he struck a low finish from the edge of the area to level with former Germany striker Miroslav Klose on 16 goals, before walking off to a standing ovation.
Argentina beat France in an epic 2022 World Cup final in Doha, winning on penalties after a 3-3 draw that saw Les Bleus striker Mbappe score a hat-trick.
France – who could meet Argentina again in the final this year if the seeds follow the form book – opened their tournament on Tuesday with a 3-1 defeat of Senegal, with Mbappe scoring twice to suggest he is more than ready to deliver another big World Cup.
