The great Messi: Argentina star turns heads with World Cup hat-trick
Lionel Messi put in a great performance in his 2026 World Cup debut, scoring a hat-trick to lead Argentina to a 3-0 victory over Algeria.
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HOUSTON — Portugal’s players and fans were stunned into silence after Congo’s Ioane Wissa jumped up and headed home the tying goal in the final seconds of the first half. The quiet situation did not last.
The Congolese fans in attendance were a minority of the 68,777 who filled NRG Stadium, many wearing Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal shirt, but there was a roar of joy as they celebrated their country’s first World Cup goal.
Congo made an even louder noise when they held on to the final whistle for a 1-1 draw with Portugal in Wednesday’s Group K opener.
“We’re not here to participate. We’re really here to make our own history,” said Congolese midfielder Galayel Mukau. “We know we can play. We know we have a strong defense.”
Congo’s result against Portugal is the latest evidence that small nations should not be underestimated at the 2026 World Cup. Cape Verde held Spain to a scoreless draw. Egypt drew with Belgium, New Zealand drew with Iran, and underdog Australia shocked Turkey with a 2-0 win.
Congolese defender Axel Tuanzebe said, “Before this match, many people probably gave up on Portugal, thinking it would be an easy victory.” “And we proved to be a very difficult team to beat.”
The World Cup is characterized by clashes between football giants and lightweights, often from opposite sides of the world. In a sport where superstars reign supreme, the possibility of an upset is part of the appeal of tournaments.
Nothing is guaranteed, as Argentina star Lionel Messi said after his team’s 3-0 victory over Algeria, which was closer than the score indicated.
“You will see that in this World Cup no one will give you anything, that it will be very competitive, that all the national teams are strong, that they have their own ideas of how to play, that they practice well and that every match will be very intense,” Messi said. “Physically, we have a lot of strong national teams that play well. To be honest, everything is very even.”
Portugal learned a harsh lesson on Wednesday. Being a Goliath only means that others will throw stones at you. Often the most memorable giants are the fallen ones.
“You’ve watched all the games in this World Cup, but it’s difficult,” said Portuguese defender Rafael León. “I think the big teams like us. We just have to respect the other team, but you never know. Our team, Portugal, we have to give our all in each match and show our talent. That was the case today, but of course we didn’t win.”
Portugal seemed to have the upper hand when Joao Neves scored in the 6th minute. Ouissa then headed home a set-piece from a corner kick in stoppage time, making it Congo’s first World Cup goal. The country’s only appearance in the World Cup was in 1974 as Zaire, in which they failed to score.
“It’s crazy,” Wissa said. “Fifty-two years later, we’re here. We’re back. It’s been a long time, it’s been difficult. So, oh, scoring that goal meant a lot to the Congolese people, to me, to my family, and to the fans who came today.”
When the half-time whistle rang seconds after Wisa’s equalizer, Portugal’s players looked stunned and limped off the field as if someone had stolen their lunch money.
But Congo’s points were earned, not stolen. The Leopards lived up to their varsity cat name by relying more on patience and stealth accuracy than speed. They played disciplined defense with a five-man back line and continued to attack, outscoring Portugal 8-7 with a 2-1 advantage in shots on target.
“(Congo’s) goal changed the situation,” Portugal coach Roberto Martinez said after the match. “I almost felt afraid that I wouldn’t be able to lose the game.”
Portugal failed to capitalize on several chances, with Joao Cancelo’s goal in the 55th minute being ruled out for offside. Star striker Ronaldo, 41 years old and playing in his sixth World Cup, barely took part in Portugal’s attack in the first half and failed to get three shots on target in the second half.
“We know that Ronaldo is not the same as before,” Mukau said. “He’s a little older now, but he’s still one of the greatest players to ever play. So, yeah, a lot of 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 was expanded to 48 teams, and US defender Anthony Robinson believes the number of upsets means the new format is working.
“It was really good. It was great to watch,” Robinson said. “Before the tournament there was a lot of talk about expanding the participation to 48 teams and how that would affect competitiveness and so on. And if you look at the results over the last few days, teams that were definitely not favorites to win have managed to pick up points and I think that’s what the World Cup is about. The World Cup is about bringing together a lot of different cultures and giving you moments and experiences like this. Yeah, it’s really nice to see that.”
Congolese forward Cedric Bakambu shrugged when asked if he thought Portugal underestimated his team.
“I don’t know, you’ll have to ask them,” he said. “But I believe in my team. I believe in my team and I know that if we play like that, we can do great in this World Cup.”
