Cristiano Ronaldo Reacts to Portugal's Stunning FIFA World Cup Draw vs. Congo DR in IG Photo

Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo reacted to his country's shocking 1-1 draw against Congo DR at the World Cup on Wednesday.

"Not the start we wanted, but this is far from over," he wrote on Instagram after the match (as translated from Portuguese). "Head up and focus on the next game."

The 41-year-old Ronaldo was rendered ineffective by Congo DR, managing zero shots on target.

It was not the sort of performance that will quiet the ongoing debate about whether Portugal would be better off with him coming off the bench.

Ronaldo hasn't scored for Portugal at the World Cup or Euros since the 2020 Euros (which were played in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic), when he scored five times.

Despite now appearing in his sixth World Cup, Ronaldo's goal-scoring record at the tournament hasn't matched his prolific finishing across his career. In 23 World Cup games, he's scored eight goals, putting him far behind his longtime rival, Lionel Messi (16 goals in six World Cups).

It's likely that Messi will become the all-time leading World Cup goal-scorer at this year's tournament, needing just one to surpass Germany's Miroslav Klose. And among active players, Ronaldo isn't even second on the list, trailing Messi, Kylian Mbappé (14) and Harry Kane (10) while being even with Neymar.

Still, it wasn't as though Portugal offered Ronaldo much service on Wednesday. Despite holding 75 percent possession, Portugal finished with an xG of just 0.65 and were outshot by Congo DR 8-7 (2-1 on goal). Credit to Congo DR, who were fantastic, but it was a pretty impotent effort from the Portuguese.

Portugal have far too much talent to offer such tepid results. Adjustments must be made, though whether they involve Ronaldo remains to be seen.