Ronaldo eyes historic sixth World Cup scoring feat as Portugal begin campaign against DR Congo
The 41-year-old forward arrives at the World Cup after several of the tournament's biggest stars made an immediate impact.
Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo will begin his 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign on 17 June with a chance to make tournament history when his side take on DR Congo.
The 41-year-old forward arrives at the World Cup after several of the tournament's biggest stars made an immediate impact. France's Kylian Mbappe and Norway's Erling Haaland both scored twice in their opening matches on 16 June, while Argentina captain Lionel Messi struck a hat-trick, reports Al Jazeera.
Messi's treble took his World Cup tally to 16 goals, drawing level with Germany's Miroslav Klose as the competition's all-time leading scorer.
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Ronaldo, however, has a milestone of his own within reach. Having scored in each of the last five World Cups, the Portugal captain can become the first player in history to score in six different editions of the tournament if he finds the net against DR Congo.
Although Messi is also appearing at his sixth World Cup, the Argentine failed to score in the 2010 edition, leaving Ronaldo with the opportunity to claim the record outright.
DR Congo coach Sebastien Desabre acknowledged Ronaldo's enduring quality ahead of the match.
"I wish him the best. I hope that he scores, but not against us," Desabre said.
While the spotlight will inevitably fall on Ronaldo, the veteran forward insisted Portugal's focus remains on progressing through the tournament rather than chasing individual accolades.
"We go match by match, not with the expectations of winning it all," Ronaldo told reporters before Portugal's departure for the World Cup.
"It has to be step by step. A good start is the most important thing."
Portugal will be without one key player, with centre-back Ruben Dias ruled out after suffering an injury in a pre-tournament friendly against Nigeria.
"I think the preparation was perfect for everyone. Only Ruben Dias is not 100 percent for tomorrow," Portugal coach Roberto Martinez said on 16 June.
"We did the medical checks, everything is structurally fine, we just need to avoid taking risks. Medically, we need him to be 100 percent."
Benfica defender Tomas Araujo is expected to replace Dias in the heart of Portugal's defence alongside Goncalo Inacio.
DR Congo, meanwhile, have reported no injury concerns and are expected to field a full-strength side featuring Premier League players Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Yoane Wissa, along with experienced striker Cedric Bakambu.
Probable line-ups
Portugal: Diogo Costa; Cancelo, Tomas Araujo, Inacio, Nuno Mendes; Joao Neves, Bruno Fernandes, Vitinha; Bernardo Silva, Ronaldo, Pedro Neto.
DR Congo: Mpasi; Wan-Bissaka, Kapuadi, Tuanzebe, Mbemba, Masuaku; Moutoussamy, Sadiki, Mukau; Wissa, Bakambu.
