Ronaldo Ties Messi's Six-Tournament Record Today as Portugal Opens Against DR Congo in Houston

Since the 2026 World Cup began, the tournament's biggest names have delivered. Messi scored a hat trick in Argentina's 3-0 win over Algeria on Tuesday night in Kansas City, according to the Associated Press, tearing up after his first goal and offering a cryptic explanation: "I've had some tough days. It wasn't related to football." He now shares the record for most World Cup goals in history with Germany's Miroslav Klose and is the second player ever to score in six different tournaments.

Wednesday's main event in Houston picks up that thread directly.

Ronaldo's Record, In Real Time

When Cristiano Ronaldo takes the pitch at NRG Stadium today, he becomes only the second man in history alongside Messi to appear in six World Cup tournaments. He is 41 years old. According to FOX Sports, Ronaldo is listed at -135 to score against DR Congo, and he has found the net in at least one game at each of his previous five World Cups. He scored once in a single World Cup game more than once only in 2018, when he bagged a hat trick against Spain.

Portugal's squad is not a one-man show. Sports Illustrated made that point clearly: Bruno Fernandes, Vitinha, João Neves, and Bernardo Silva form what SI called "the best midfield in the competition." Manager Roberto Martínez has depth across every line. Portugal qualified for the tournament by winning UEFA Group F, including a 9-1 demolition of Armenia, per FOX Sports.

DR Congo: 52 Years Between Appearances

DR Congo last appeared at the World Cup in 1974 — as Zaire. Getting back required beating Cameroon, Nigeria, and Jamaica, the last of which came via a 1-0 win in the FIFA Intercontinental Playoff final in extra time, according to the NY Post. Their squad is built largely from players at European clubs: defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Noah Sadiki, and Chancel Mbemba anchor the backline, and Newcastle's Yoane Wissa is their primary attacking threat, per the NY Post's betting preview.

Manager Sébastien Desabre's tactical approach is clear. DR Congo will sit deep, absorb pressure, and look for the counter. According to Sports Illustrated, the side drew with Denmark and lost to Chile in pre-tournament play, winning just two of their last five matches — both against Jamaica and Bermuda.

The Upset Argument Is Not Crazy

The strongest case for DR Congo is this: the group stage has already shown that African sides can shut down elite European opponents. Spain was held to a 0-0 draw by Cape Verde on Monday, a result the NY Post called "a shocker." Cape Verde's 40-year-old goalkeeper became a viral sensation in that match. DR Congo's strategy of sitting back, avoiding being carved open, and hitting on the break is the exact blueprint Cape Verde used.

Portugal has the pedigree and the roster depth, but high-possession European sides have repeatedly struggled against disciplined low-blocks at this tournament. The mismatch in FIFA rankings (Portugal 5th, DR Congo 46th, per the NY Post) does not guarantee goals.

Sports Illustrated counters that "the gulf in class is simply too great." Portugal fired six goals in three friendly wins over the USA, Chile, and Nigeria combined, per FOX Sports. When a team that deep in attacking talent faces a side sitting back, the pressure compounds over 90 minutes.

Odds and What They Say

FanDuel Sportsbook has Portugal at -350 on the moneyline as of June 17, according to FOX Sports. A draw is at +420. DR Congo to win outright sits at +1000. The total is set at 2.5 goals, with the over favored at -128.

The NY Post's betting analyst Erich Richter identified a specific angle: DR Congo to score at least one goal at +115 on BetMGM, reasoning that even a leaky defensive performance from Portugal would still allow Congo DR to get on the board at some point.

FOX Sports analyst Chris "The Bear" Fallica flagged concerns about how many goals Portugal would actually score, though his full prediction was cut off in the source text.

What to Watch

This is Portugal's first-ever meeting with DR Congo, according to the NY Post. The match kicks off at 1 p.m. ET and airs on FOX in English and Telemundo in Spanish.

The open question beyond the result: whether Ronaldo scores, and whether doing so in a sixth World Cup tournament changes anything about the ongoing Messi-vs.-Ronaldo conversation. Messi now has 16 World Cup goals. Ronaldo has been on the pitch at all five prior tournaments. If he scores today, the gap narrows to one goal with at least two more group matches ahead for Portugal.