Ronaldo said in statements to the media after the match, which were reported by the Portuguese newspaper Record, “We did not lack anything, and what happened in this match is applicable in football.”
The Saudi Al-Nasr club striker added: “Portugal could have won, but it was possible that we would have lost as well.”
Ronaldo, along with Argentine star Lionel Messi, became the only players to participate in six editions of the World Cup, and he is also considered the oldest field player to participate in the World Cup, at the age of 41 years and 132 days.
Ronaldo wrote on his official Instagram account: “It was not the start we hoped for, but the journey is not over yet. We have to raise our heads and prepare for the next match.”
He continued, saying: “We started strong, and the early goal that we scored changed the course of the match. We lacked attacks inside the penalty area, and we focused only on possession without reaching the final offensive third, which gave the Democratic Republic of Congo an opportunity to reorganize its ranks and start again, and scored the equalizer with a goal from a set piece, and this is an effective weapon in a tournament like the World Cup.”
He went on to explain: “We played our way until the first goal, then the atmosphere and pressure of winning the World Cup overwhelmed us, and we did not look for space on the field, and this is possible, but the team’s condition was good and exceptional, and now we have to focus on the next match.”
Martinez stressed, “We are not restricted to a starting lineup. Rather, all 26 players on the list are important and prominent elements. We will evaluate ourselves in order to develop our level in the tournament.”
