India, June 18 -- Cristiano Ronaldo's hunt for the elusive FIFA World Cup title began on a sour note as Portugal were held to a 1-1 draw by DR Congo in their Group K opener in Houston. In their only second World Cup appearance, Congo also scored their first-ever WC goal. Congo's last and only other appearance was in 1974, when it was known as Zaire.

Meanwhile, for Portugal, it was a disappointing night, where they dominated the position but failed to convert chances.

The Europeans started on a strong note, trying to get an early goal through a packed midfield which featured Bruno Fernandes, Joao Neves, Vitinha and Bernardo Silva. They found their breakthrough in the opening stages as Joao Neves scored in the sixth minute. Pedro Neto rec...