[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https:\/\/up24hindi.in\/fifa-world-cup-2026-after-historic-outburst-from-mbappe-haaland-and-messi-all-eyes-turn-to-cristiano-ronaldo-vs-dr-congo\/#NewsArticle","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/up24hindi.in\/fifa-world-cup-2026-after-historic-outburst-from-mbappe-haaland-and-messi-all-eyes-turn-to-cristiano-ronaldo-vs-dr-congo\/","headline":"FIFA World Cup 2026: After Historic Outburst from Mbappe, Haaland, and Messi, All Eyes Turn to Cristiano Ronaldo vs DR Congo","name":"FIFA World Cup 2026: After Historic Outburst from Mbappe, Haaland, and Messi, All Eyes Turn to Cristiano Ronaldo vs DR Congo","description":"Will Cristiano Ronaldo star for Portugal against DR Congo? (Photo Reuters) FIFA World Cup 2026 :The ongoing FIFA World Cup group stage has transformed into a theatrical showcase for football\u2019s greatest icons. In a single, extraordinary window of tournament fixtures across the United States, three generational superstars\u2014Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, and Lionel Messi\u2014all took to ... <a title=\"FIFA World Cup 2026: After Historic Outburst from Mbappe, Haaland, and Messi, All Eyes Turn to Cristiano Ronaldo vs DR Congo\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/up24hindi.in\/fifa-world-cup-2026-after-historic-outburst-from-mbappe-haaland-and-messi-all-eyes-turn-to-cristiano-ronaldo-vs-dr-congo\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about FIFA World Cup 2026: After Historic Outburst from Mbappe, Haaland, and Messi, All Eyes Turn to Cristiano Ronaldo vs DR Congo\">Read more<\/a>","datePublished":"2026-06-17","dateModified":"2026-06-17","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/up24hindi.in\/author\/abhikk102004\/#Person","name":"ABHI KK","url":"https:\/\/up24hindi.in\/author\/abhikk102004\/","identifier":1,"description":"<a href=\"http:\/\/up24hindi.in\">UP24Hindi.in<\/a> \r\n\r\n\r\nWebsite:<a href=\"https:\/\/up24hindi.in\"> https:\/\/up24hindi.in<\/a>\r\n\r\nRole: Website Admin \/ Editor\r\n\r\nSource: <a href=\"https:\/\/up24hindi.in\">https:\/\/up24hindi.in<\/a>\r\nArticle link:<a href=\"https:\/\/up24hindi.in\/about-me\"> https:\/\/up24hindi.in\/about-me<\/a>\/","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/up24hindi.in\/wp-content\/litespeed\/avatar\/aaf62ce68d0959418e43c997fb078e5b.jpg?ver=1781848000","url":"https:\/\/up24hindi.in\/wp-content\/litespeed\/avatar\/aaf62ce68d0959418e43c997fb078e5b.jpg?ver=1781848000","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"up24Hindi","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/up24hindi.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/cropped-up24hindi-e1778741598181.png","url":"https:\/\/up24hindi.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/cropped-up24hindi-e1778741598181.png","width":1020,"height":265}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/up24hindi.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/cristiano-ronaldo-174835894-16x9_0.webp","url":"https:\/\/up24hindi.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/cristiano-ronaldo-174835894-16x9_0.webp","height":388,"width":690},"url":"https:\/\/up24hindi.in\/fifa-world-cup-2026-after-historic-outburst-from-mbappe-haaland-and-messi-all-eyes-turn-to-cristiano-ronaldo-vs-dr-congo\/","about":["Khel Jagat"],"wordCount":662,"keywords":["Cristiano Ronaldo","DR Congo"],"articleBody":"Will Cristiano Ronaldo star for Portugal against DR Congo? (Photo Reuters)FIFA World Cup 2026 :The ongoing FIFA World Cup group stage has transformed into a theatrical showcase for football\u2019s greatest icons. In a single, extraordinary window of tournament fixtures across the United States, three generational superstars\u2014Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, and Lionel Messi\u2014all took to the pitch on the same night to shatter major international milestones.With seven goals shared between them in a chaotic blur of elite goalscoring, the spotlight now shifts entirely to Portugal&#8217;s captain, Cristiano Ronaldo. As Portugal prepares to face the Democratic Republic of Congo, the 41-year-old icon stands on the precipice of unique footballing history, looking to match the explosive momentum of his long-time contemporaries.A Night of Superstars: Shattering the Record BooksBefore Ronaldo even ties his boots for Portugal&#8217;s opener, the benchmark for individual excellence at the 2026 tournament was raised to astronomical heights over the course of an unforgettable evening:Kylian Mbappe (France): The 27-year-old forward carried the expectations of Les Bleus to net a brilliant brace against Senegal. In doing so, Mbappe officially became France\u2019s all-time leading goalscorer, overtaking a historic national record previously thought to be untouchable for decades.Erling Haaland (Norway): Making his highly anticipated, career-first appearance on a World Cup pitch, the prolific Norwegian striker wasted no time adapting to the grandest stage. Haaland struck twice against Iraq, immediately validating his status as a relentless goal machine.Lionel Messi (Argentina): Celebrating his monumental 200th international cap for Argentina, the 38-year-old produced a signature, breathtaking hat-trick against Algeria. The feat saw him draw level with Germany&#8217;s Miroslav Klose as the all-time highest goalscorer in World Cup history (16 goals) and made him the oldest player to score a hat-trick in the competition\u2014wresting that specific record away from Ronaldo himself.Ronaldo&#8217;s Quest for Six-Tournament HistoryFor nearly two decades, the modern footballing landscape has been defined by the duopoly of Messi and Ronaldo pushing each other to unprecedented athletic heights. Now embarking on his record-setting sixth World Cup campaign, Ronaldo has the opportunity to claim an exclusive milestone of his own.The Ultimate Milestone: If Ronaldo finds the back of the net against DR Congo, he will become the first football player in history to score in six different FIFA World Cup tournaments. Entering the match, the five-time Ballon d&#8217;Or winner has accumulated eight career World Cup goals across his previous five tournament appearances.The stakes are incredibly high for the veteran forward, who is seeking personal redemption on the international stage. His 2022 World Cup campaign in Qatar unraveled into frustration after he scored just once, was substituted against South Korea, and was subsequently benched during Portugal&#8217;s knockout clash against Switzerland. Furthermore, his run at the 2024 European Championship marked the first time in his career that he failed to score a single goal during a major international tournament.The Opponent: A Resurgent DR CongoStanding between Ronaldo and the history books is a 45th-ranked DR Congo side. The African nation is enjoying a historic moment of its own, participating in only its second-ever World Cup, and its first in 52 years\u2014dating back to 1974 when the country competed under the name Zaire.Despite the gulf in historical football stature, DR Congo&#8217;s manager, S\u00e9bastien Desabre, maintained a relaxed and witty demeanor during his pre-match press conference when asked about facing the Portuguese legend:&#8220;I wish him the best. I hope that he scores, but not against us.&#8221;\u2014 S\u00e9bastien Desabre, DR Congo Head CoachWith Mbappe, Haaland, and Messi having already delivered their respective masterclasses, the global football community watches with bated breath to see if Cristiano Ronaldo can rise to the immense pressure, summon his classic brilliance, and complete a truly unforgettable chapter in World Cup history.\ud83d\udccc \u092f\u0947 \u092d\u0940 \u092a\u0922\u093c\u0947\u090215 \u0935\u0930\u094d\u0937\u0940\u092f \u0935\u0948\u092d\u0935 \u0938\u0942\u0930\u094d\u092f\u0935\u0902\u0936\u0940 \u0915\u0947 \u0932\u093f\u090f BCCI \u0915\u093e \u0910\u0924\u093f\u0939\u093e\u0938\u093f\u0915 \u092b\u0948\u0938\u0932\u093e: \u0936\u094d\u0930\u0940\u0932\u0902\u0915\u093e \u0914\u0930 \u092f\u0942\u0915\u0947 \u0926\u094c\u0930\u0947 \u092a\u0930 \u091f\u0940\u092e \u0907\u0902\u0921\u093f\u092f\u093e \u0915\u0947 \u0938\u093e\u0925 \u0938\u092b\u0930 \u0915\u0930\u0947\u0902\u0917\u0947 \u092e\u093e\u0924\u093e-\u092a\u093f\u0924\u093eArsenal Edge Burnley as Havertz Header Keeps Title DreaWomen&#8217;s T20 World Cup 2026: Hayley Matthews \u0915\u0940 \u0915\u092a\u094d\u0924\u093e\u0928\u0940 \u092e\u0947\u0902 \u0935\u0947\u0938\u094d\u091f\u0907\u0902\u0921\u0940\u091c \u0928\u0947 \u0918\u094b\u0937\u093f\u0924 \u0915\u0940 \u0926\u092e\u0926\u093e\u0930 \u091f\u0940\u092e, \u0907\u0902\u0917\u094d\u0932\u0948\u0902\u0921 \u0915\u0940 \u092a\u0930\u093f\u0938\u094d\u0925\u093f\u0924\u093f\u092f\u094b\u0902 \u092a\u0930 \u0916\u093e\u0938 \u092b\u094b\u0915\u0938Gill Returns, Jaiswal Waits as India Pick Afghanistan Squads"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"FIFA World Cup 2026: After Historic Outburst from Mbappe, Haaland, and Messi, All Eyes Turn to Cristiano Ronaldo vs DR Congo","item":"https:\/\/up24hindi.in\/fifa-world-cup-2026-after-historic-outburst-from-mbappe-haaland-and-messi-all-eyes-turn-to-cristiano-ronaldo-vs-dr-congo\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]