Roberto Martinez Warns Cristiano Ronaldo & Portugal Players After DR Congo Draw- 'No Fixed Lineups Now'

The surprises continue to happen in the 2026 World Cup as Portugal dropped points to DR Congo in their first match of the tournament. Portugal is considered one of the favorites of the tournament and couldn't beat DR Congo.

Portugal and DR Congo drew 1-1 at Houston Stadium, and now Colombia or Uzbekistan can top Group K if one of them wins tonight.

Portugal only had one shot on target against DR Congo, which was the goal from Joao Neves, who scored a header in the 6th minute.

Following the match, Portugal head coach Roberto Martinez was asked about the performance of his team, and his words suggest that he may consider changes in the lineup for the next match.

This would even include Cristiano Ronaldo, who played the full 90 minutes but was not impactful for the team against DR Congo.

Roberto Martinez on Portugal's performance vs DR Congo

After Portugal drew 1-1 with DR Congo, Roberto Martinez insisted that no player from the starting lineup against DR Congo is safe from not being dropped for the next match.

Martinez highlighted some players who did not start the match today, like Francisco Conceicao and Rafael Leao. He made a change before the seocnd half by taking off Bernardo Silva for Conceicao.

Martinez said, "It is important to change the attacking approach. DR Congo had a strong defensive structure and won many duels. The introduction of Francisco Conceição looked for different spaces, and so did Semedo. It is important to have a player like Leão, and also [Goncalo] Ramos. Both have a strong presence inside the penalty area."

Martinez states there is no defined starting 11 for this World Cup, moving forward.

Martinez said, "We are not limited to a fixed starting lineup, but to all 26 players. And that is an important and strong point. Today, we approach the match with a very high level of self-criticism. And we need to develop during this tournament."

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This story was originally published June 17, 2026 at 12:55 PM.