Cristiano Ronaldo’s 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign opened with the kind of stat line no one wants on their resume. Portugal drew 1-1 with DR Congo, and the 41-year-old forward extended his goal drought in major international tournaments to ten consecutive matches.
For the crypto world, the tournament itself is arguably the bigger story. FIFA’s Avalanche-based blockchain is now live, Kraken is the event’s first official crypto exchange partner, and the intersection of fan tokens, digital collectibles, and global football has never been more commercially relevant.
What happened on the pitch
Portugal took the lead through Joao Neves, who converted a header from a cross. Then DR Congo equalized. Newcastle United forward Yoane Wissa headed home before halftime, and the African nation, ranked 46th in the FIFA rankings, held firm for the remaining 45 minutes.
For DR Congo, this was historic. The country hadn’t appeared at a World Cup since 1974, when it competed as Zaire and lost all three group-stage matches. This 1-1 draw represents its first-ever World Cup point, more than five decades in the making.
