DR Congo makes history with draw against Portugal in World Cup

Cristiano Ronaldo's sixth World Cup began on a low note. The Democratic Republic of Congo earned their first-ever point at the finals, drawing 1-1 with Portugal in their Group K match on Wednesday.

Yoane Wissa's header equalized Joao Neves's early goal. The African team, appearing in their first World Cup since 1974, held their ground well against Portugal.

Ronaldo, 41, was not very active during the game. He could not match Lionel Messi's performance from Tuesday, where Messi scored a hat-trick against Algeria.

The DRC's achievement was even more impressive because their preparations faced challenges from the Ebola outbreak in their country.

Some players from Portugal wore wristbands given by Prime Minister Luis Montenegro. This was in honor of their late teammate Diogo Jota, who tragically died in a car crash last year.

Portugal started strong with Neves scoring a header from Pedro Neto's cross in the sixth minute. But even with most of the ball, they struggled to create clear chances.

As the first half went on, the DRC made them pay for this. Wissa headed the ball past Diogo Costa in the Portuguese goal, leading to wild celebrations from the Congolese players and fans. This was DRC's first-ever goal at a World Cup.

Pepe, a former Portuguese defender, watched from VIP seats and did not seem pleased with the game.

Bernardo Silva had a busy day, joining Real Madrid on a free transfer. By the end of the match, he was on the bench after being substituted at half-time.

He briefly celebrated when Joao Cancelo's overhead kick found the net, but it was ruled offside. The Congolese were keeping up with the Portuguese team.

Cedric Bakambu, a 35-year-old striker, pushed past Bruno Fernandes, but his shot hit the near post. Ronaldo finally got a chance to make an impact when Francisco Conceicao passed to him, but he missed the target.

The same pair linked up again moments later. Conceicao, who was more active than Silva, set up Ronaldo again, but the result was the same, Ronaldo shot wide.

Portugal thought they had a corner, but when it was not given, Conceicao slammed the ball down in frustration. Portugal could not secure the three points in their opening match.