Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – Cristiano Ronaldo played in a record-equalling sixth World Cup on Wednesday, but his Portugal side were held to a 1-1 draw by the Democratic Republic of Congo before England begin their bid to end a 60-year wait for a trophy. Portuguese great Ronaldo, 41, equalled the record set on Tuesday by his old nemesis Lionel Messi, but he found the going tough against a resolute Congolese defense in Houston.
Joao Neves opened the scoring for Portugal in the first half, but Yoane Wissa of English Premier League club Newcastle equalized with a headed goal in first-half injury time to give the Congolese their first-ever 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 a tremendous source of pride to have earned DR Congo’s first-ever point at the FIFA World Cup, as well as its first goal,” their coach Sebastien Desabre said. “I am very proud of my players because they represented the Congo in a very positive way and the entire country deserves it.”
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Several Portugal players meanwhile were wearing wristbands in tribute to late team-mate 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 start their challenge against Croatia and are among the favorites after a string of near-misses at recent tournaments, but history weighs heavy on a side who last won the World Cup on home soil in 1966. Captain Harry Kane urged his teammates to “go for it” and be “free in the mind” when they take on the beaten 2018 finalists in the vast AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. “For sure it’s one of the best opportunities we will have as a team to win it,” Kane said on Tuesday. “I think everyone is eager to just start well tomorrow and prove that we have the capabilities of going far in this tournament. Ultimately, for me, the message is just to be free in the mind.”
In other games on Wednesday, Ghana faced Panama in Toronto in England’s Group L. Then first-time qualifiers Uzbekistan tackled Colombia at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City in Group K, the same group as Portugal.
– Messi magic –
On an extraordinary Tuesday, Messi started his 200th international appearance by claiming a piece of history, becoming the first man to play in six World Cups as he led Argentina onto the field at Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium. The game marked exactly 20 years since Messi’s first appearance at a World Cup. He stamped his class on proceedings with a memorable treble — the first of his World Cup career.
A 17th-minute curling strike took his World Cup goals tally to 14, putting him alongside German legend Gerd Mueller and France superstar Kylian Mbappe in the all-time rankings. He moved one clear of 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 swept in a low finish from the edge of the area to move level with former Germany forward Miroslav Klose on 16 goals before departing to a standing ovation.
Argentina defeated 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 in the final again this year if seedings follow the form book — launched 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.
© 2024 AFP
