FIFA World Cup 2026: When The Underdogs End Up As Giants

What a beautiful thing World Cup football is - but how dangerous complacency can be! Portugal made their first appearance in this World Cup and, against all odds, could secure no more than a 1-1 draw against a Democratic Republic of Congo side that proved one thing: nowadays, the physical gap in football has shrunk to levels never seen before.

The match started exactly as the Lusitans (Portugal) wanted. Just six minutes in, youngster João Neves latched onto a loose ball to make it 1-0. It looked like a Portuguese party was brewing in Houston, with Bernardo Silva and Bruno Fernandes eager to pull the strings. But beware, because this World Cup is teaching us a very clear lesson: physical preparation, impressive aerobic capacity, and advancements in sports and medical technology have become so globalised that any national team can match your work rate for the full 90 minutes.

Congo didn't back down; they absorbed the blow and began shutting down passing lanes with an outstanding physical display. Analysing the match in depth, the lack of constant pressure on countries like Congo allows them, when Portugal drops back, not to shrink away but instead to push forward in search of the game. The quality displayed by Congo, driven by their strong and fast players, severely complicated Portugal’s transition defence.

While the Portuguese side didn't necessarily play poorly, they ran straight into a Congo team that showed far more hunger to win the match than to simply settle for a draw.

And this is where I must sound the tactical alarm once again, as I have done so often: the blessed obsession with playing out cleanly from the back.

Portugal, eager to look too stylish or excessively brave in their own defensive third, took far too many risks during their low build-up.

The African block smelled blood, pressed high, and just as the first half was coming to a close (45'+5'), Yoane Wissa capitalised on a collective mistake to smash home the 1-1 equaliser. Yet another victim of the insistence on initiating play from inside one's own six-yard box.

If they don't adjust those build-up mechanisms, they are going to keep having a rough time.

In the second half, Portugal turned to the bench looking for fresh legs, bringing on Francisco Conceição and Rafael Leão, but they hit a brick wall. And right here, another one of my core principles became evident: the real difference is no longer physicality, but decision-making under maximum intensity. While a desperate Portugal drifted into sloppy mistakes in the final third, the Congolese squad played with admirable patience and tactical discipline, defending with their teeth and countering with real danger.

Cristiano Ronaldo was left completely isolated up top, starved of clean service against an opponent that fought for every ball as if it were their last.

In the end, it's a point that tastes like glory for Congo and leaves (head coach of Portugal) Roberto Martínez with a massive headache. Time to regroup and fix the build-up play, because in this World Cup format, an early stumble can cost you dearly when it comes to group qualification.

"ESTO ES, A MI CRITERIO (THIS IS, IN MY OPINION)."

(The author, Alejandro Lino, is currently the head coach of Argentinos Juniors, the famed Argentine club where football legend Diego Maradona began his legendary journey in 1976 and scored 116 goals from 166 matches till 1981 before he moved to FC Barcelona in Spain)

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