‘Ronaldo isn’t the same, he’s older’: DR Congo’s Mukau reveals there was no special plan for Portugal star

DR Congo spoiled Cristiano Ronaldo’s 2026 World Cup debut with a hard-fought 1-1 draw, with star midfielder Ngal’ayel Mukau revealing that the African side didn’t design a special tactical plan to contain Portugal‘s captain.

Portugal was unable to secure a victory in its opening 2026 World Cup match. While Cristiano Ronaldo has already addressed the frustrating draw, DR Congo’s Mukau has now shared his perspective on facing the legendary forward.

“A special plan to contain Cristiano Ronaldo? To be honest, not really,“ Mukau said, via TNT Sports Brasil. “We know that he isn’t the same as before. He’s a bit older now. But still, he’s one of the greatest… much respect to him.”

Cristiano Ronaldo was the second-worst rated player in the game

On Tuesday night, Lionel Messi scored a spectacular hat-trick to tie Miroslav Klose as the all-time World Cup top scorer. This masterclass naturally piled the pressure onto Cristiano Ronaldo, who ultimately failed to match his eternal rival’s explosive tournament start.

While fans around the world expected an outstanding performance from the Portuguese icon, the veteran striker struggled to make his presence felt. According to SofaScore, Ronaldo was the second-worst rated player of the 31 who saw action in the match, finishing with a disappointing 6.1 rating.

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The only player rated lower was DR Congo’s goalkeeper, Lionel Mpasi-Nzau, who received a 6.0 rating. Ronaldo’s score was lower than all four of Portugal’s substitutes and all five of the Leopards’ bench players who entered the pitch.

Portugal now faces an uphill battle

Portugal shares Group K with Colombia, Uzbekistan, and DR Congo. Supporters of the European powerhouse widely expected to kick off the tournament with a routine three points, but this opening slip-up has suddenly complicated their path to the knockout rounds.

Colombia is widely regarded as the primary threat for the top spot in the group. While Portugal undoubtedly aims to advance as group winner, it now faces immense pressure to defeat Uzbekistan and Los Cafeteros to prevent its World Cup dream from ending much sooner than expected.