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HOUSTON — In the dying moments of the first half, after Congo's Yoane Wissa soared and headed in an equalizing goal, Portugal players and fans stood in stunned silence. The quiet did not last.The Congolese fans in attendance — a minority faction of the 68,777 fans who filled NRG Stadium, many wearing Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal jersey — erupted in jubilant celebration of the country's first World Cup goal.When Congo held on to the final whistle for a 1-1 draw against Portugal in Wednesday's Group K opener, it made an even louder statement."We're not here to participate. We're really here to create our own history," Congo midfielder Ngal'ayel Mukau said. "We know that we can play. We know that we have a strong defense."Congo's result against Portugal is the latest proof in the 2026 World Cup that smaller countries should not be underestimated. Cape Verde held Spain to a scoreless draw. Egypt tied with Belgium, New Zealand tied with Iran and underdog Australia shocked with a 2-0 win over Turkey."Probably a lot of people would have written us off before this game, thinking it would be an easy win for Portugal," said Congo defender Axel Tuanzebe. "And we've shown that we're very much a harder team to beat."A hallmark of the World Cup is clashes between titans and lightweights of the soccer world, often from opposite sides of the globe. In a sport where superstars reign supreme, the potential for upsets is part of the tournament's allure.Nothing is guaranteed, as Argentina star Lionel Messi said after his team's 3-0 win over Algeria that was closer than the score suggests."You’re seeing in this World Cup that nobody gives you anything, that it’s very competitive, that all the national teams are strong, they’ve got their idea of play, they’re well-drilled and every game is going to be very intense," Messi said. "Physically, there are (a) lot of strong national teams who play well. Honestly, everything is very even."Portugal learned a tough lesson on Wednesday. Being a Goliath only means others will throw stones. Often, the most memorable giants are fallen ones."You guys saw all of the games in this World Cup; it's difficult," Portugal defender Rafael Leão said. "I think the big teams like us, we just need to respect the other team, but you never know. Our team, Portugal, we need to go give our everything in each game and show our talent. We did today, but of course we didn't win."Portugal appeared to grab the upper hand when João Neves scored in the sixth minute. Then came Wissa's stoppage-time goal, headed in off a corner kick set piece, which was Congo's first at the World Cup. The country did not score in its only other World Cup appearance back in 1974, when it competed as Zaire."It's crazy," Wissa said. "Fifty-two years later, we are here. We are back. It's been long, it's been difficult. So yeah, scoring that goal, it means a lot for the Congolese, for me, for my family, for the fans who showed up today."When the halftime whistle blew seconds after Wissa's equalizer, Portugal players looked aghast and shuffled off the field like someone had just stolen their lunch money.But Congo's point was not stolen, it was earned. The Leopards lived up to their national team's feline namesake by relying on patience and stealth precision rather than speed. They were disciplined defensively in their five-man back line and refused to let up on offense, outshooting Portugal 8-7 with a 2-1 advantage in shots on target."The (Congo) goal changed things," Portugal coach Roberto Martinez said after the match. "We almost felt the fear of not losing the game."Portugal did not capitalize on some chances, including when João Cancelo's goal in the 55th minute was called back for an offside violation. Star striker Ronaldo, playing in his sixth World Cup at age 41, was largely absent from Portugal's attack in the first half and in the second half failed to put any of his three shots on target."We know that Ronaldo isn't the same as before," Mukau said. "He's a bit older now, but still he's one of the greatest to ever play the game. So yeah, much respect. ... It was up to our defense to stop him and they did a good job."This is the first World Cup since the tournament expanded to 48 teams, and United States defender Antonee Robinson believes the plethora of upsets means the new format is delivering."It's been really good. It's been nice to see," Robinson said. "There was a lot of talk before the tournament of expanding it to 48 teams and how that might affect the competitiveness and whatnot. And you see the results in the last couple of days of teams who definitely weren't the favorites, managing to get points and I think that's what the World Cup's about. It's about bringing lots of different cultures together and giving them moments like this and experiences. Yeah, it's really nice to see."Congo forward Cédric Bakambu, asked whether he thought Portugal underestimated his team, shrugged."I don't know, you have to ask them," he said. "But me, I believe in my team. I trust in my team, and I know if you play like that you can do great things in this World Cup."
