Portugal's forward Cristiano Ronaldo (R) controls the ball during the 2026 World Cup Group K match between Portugal and DR Congo. | Photo Credit: AFP

Portugal benefitted from the recent changes in playing conditions introduced for the FIFA World Cup, during its Group K match against DR Congo in Houston on Wednesday.

The African side secured a goal kick from a failed Portugal attack early on in the second half. However, the Congo goalkeeper, Lionel Mpasi-Nzau, took too long to take the kick.

As per the rules, “referees will start a visual five-second countdown with a raised hand if the restart of play is delayed. If the ball is not in play at the end of the countdown, a corner is awarded to the opponent.”

The referee blew the whistle and awarded a corner kick to Portugal, however, it did not yield a goal for Portugal and the score remained level at 1-1.

Published on Jun 17, 2026