At 41, Portuguese great Cristiano Ronaldo equalled a milestone previously set by Lionel Messi earlier this week.
In Los Angeles, Cristiano Ronaldo played in a record-equalling sixth World Cup on Wednesday, but Portugal were held to a 1-1 draw by DR Congo, as England prepare to launch their bid to end a 60-year trophy drought.
Portugal led through João Neves in the opening half, but Newcastle forward Yoane Wissa equalised with a first-half injury-time header, earning DR Congo their maiden World Cup point.
Despite disruptions caused by an Ebola outbreak in the country, DR Congo’s achievement stood out, with coach Sébastien Desabre describing it as “a tremendous source of pride” to register the nation’s first World Cup point and goal.
“I am very proud of my players, as they represented Congo in a very positive way, and the entire country deserves this,” he said.
Speaking on Tuesday, Harry Kane said it was “one of the best opportunities” the team will have to win a major tournament.
Messi’s milestone moment
On an extraordinary Tuesday, Lionel Messi marked his 200th international appearance by making history as the first player to feature in six World Cups, leading Argentina national football team out at Arrowhead Stadium.
A 17th-minute curling strike took his World Cup tally to 14 goals, placing him alongside German legend Gerd Müller and French superstar Kylian Mbappé in the all-time standings.
In the dramatic 2022 World Cup final in Doha, Argentina beat France on penalties after a 3–3 draw, despite a hat-trick from France forward Kylian Mbappé.
