Cristiano Ronaldo defends Portugal after 1-1 draw with DR Congo

Cristiano Ronaldo defended his Portugal teammates after their 1-1 draw with DR Congo in their World Cup opener in Houston. He stormed down the tunnel at full-time but insisted nothing was missing from the team's performance and urged the squad to keep their heads up.

Speaking to Sport TV while signing autographs outside the stadium, he said: "What was missing? Nothing was missing, this is football. Portugal could have won, but also could have lost. It could have gone either way." Portugal had struggled to break down the resilient African side after an early goal was cancelled by Yoane Wissa.

On social media he acknowledged the dropped points — "It was not the start we wanted, but this is far from over" — and asked for "head up and focus on the next game." He missed several clear chances, extending his goal drought in major international tournaments to 10 consecutive matches, but stepping onto the pitch made him the oldest player to represent his country, surpassing Pepe.

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