Chris Sutton Critiques Portugal's World Cup Draw Performance

Chris Sutton, a former England striker, expressed disappointment over Portugal's performance in their opening match of the 2026 World Cup, which ended in a 1-1 draw against DR Congo. Sutton criticized Portugal's display as insipid and flat, particularly noting that they allowed DR Congo to score their first World Cup goal through a header by Newcastle United forward Yoan Wissa.

Portugal initially took the lead with a header from Joao Neves just seven minutes into the match. However, Sutton questioned the management of Cristiano Ronaldo by coach Roberto Martinez, stating that Ronaldo was peripheral to the game and that Martinez lacked the courage to manage him effectively.

Sutton's remarks were made during a discussion on TalkSport, where he highlighted the difficulties faced by Portugal in what was expected to be an easy victory against the underdog team.