Portugal’s first match at the 2026 World Cup drew a lot of eyeballs, and not for a good reason. Despite facing DR Congo, a nation sitting 41 places below them in FIFA Rankings, Cristiano Ronaldo and his team could only manage a draw. Darren Watkins, known by his internet moniker IShowSpeed, looked in utter disbelief as the match unfolded in Houston. A Ronaldo superfan, he expected his idol to lead Portugal to victory.

Frustration had been building for some time before the final whistle. Speed had been in the stands all night, fully invested in the game as only he can be, and his disappointment was palpable when the Portuguese failed to score a second goal. Yet as he streamed live while leaving the venue, he refused to let the outcome shake his faith, mumbling the same line to anyone within earshot.

“We still gon win the World Cup… It’s only the first game… Last World Cup Argentina lost to Saudi Arabia,” he said.

Although known for his over-the-top antics, the streamer’s defiant reaction holds weight. Argentina had opened its 2022 campaign in Qatar by losing to Saudi Arabia in one of the most stunning upsets in World Cup history. Despite the shocking result, the team went on to win six consecutive games and lifted the much-coveted trophy. That comparison was all Speed needed to know that a stumble on the first night of a World Cup does not mean the end of the story.

That was not the only viral moment from the streamer that night. Earlier in the tournament, he appeared on Fox Sports’ broadcast panel with Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thierry Henry. There, he confidently predicted that Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal would go all the way and win the World Cup.

Then, during the game, Speed approached a young fan in the stands wearing an Argentina shirt and asked where he stood on the Messi vs. Ronaldo debate. The boy said both players were equally good, and when Speed discovered he didn’t own a Portugal shirt, he handed over his own Ronaldo jersey on the spot. Even in the midst of a result he clearly did not like, Speed managed to turn the night into a moment that both fanbases could be proud of.

 Yet the same cannot be said about Portugal’s concerning performance against an opponent it was favored to beat.

Portugal’s alarming numbers against DR Congo

The disappointment was not solely about the outcome, but how easily the DR Congo contained the world-class Portuguese squad. Alongside Spain and France, Portugal is touted as one of the heavy favorites to clinch the competition.

PSG sensation João Neves had given Portugal a dream start, rising to head home a Pedro Neto cross in the sixth minute. Portugal seemed to be on course for an easy win, only for DR Congo to go against the flow of the game and equalize through Yoane Wissa’s header in first-half stoppage time. This was the nation’s first-ever World Cup appearance as the Democratic Republic of Congo, having previously played as Zaire in 1974. Adding to the momentous occasion, Yoane Wissa became DR Congo’s first-ever World Cup goal scorer.

Portugal finished the first half with 80 percent possession but struggled to create chances after Neves’ opener. This was apparent: DR Congo’s six shots on goal tripled Portugal’s total at the break. The underlying data told an even more stark story. DR Congo finished with eight shots and 0.82 expected goals, compared to Portugal’s seven shots worth only 0.64 xG. With this result, Portugal has failed to win its first World Cup match for the fourth time in five editions.

Cristiano Ronaldo himself was the focus of the concern. Despite playing the entire 90 minutes of his 23rd World Cup match, he only attempted three shots, created zero chances, and completed two progressive carries and progressive passes apiece. He has now gone ten straight World Cup and European Championship matches without a goal, and it has been nearly five years since his last open-play goal in a major tournament.

The 41-year-old became the oldest outfield player to start a World Cup match, breaking Atiba Hutchinson’s record set four years ago for Canada. The record seemed to sit awkwardly alongside the performance itself. Quick, young players like Francisco Conceicao created many opportunities for the legendary Portuguese. Cristiano Ronaldo, however, failed to convert them. He was often found struggling to keep up physically against the five-man Congolese backline.

In contrast, DR Congo will leave Houston on a high note. Coach Sébastien Desabre pointed to the resilience his team had already shown in World Cup qualifying.

“I know my players are capable of resetting themselves mentally and reacting in the right way to put the team back on the right track after a difficult beginning,” he said postgame, per ESPN.

Having switched the script against a tournament favorite, DR Congo’s tenacity may come in handy against James Rodriguez’s Colombia on June 24. Portugal and Cristiano Ronaldo, on the other hand, must deliver a win against Uzbekistan on Tuesday to gain some momentum.