Cristiano Ronaldo is set to play in his sixth World Cup as Portugal launches its campaign in North America, chasing the one trophy that has eluded him on the global stage.

Yet questions surround the 41-year-old and what kind of impact he can still make for the 2016 European champions.

The doubts are not new. Since leaving Real Madrid in 2018, Ronaldo’s physical drop-off has been heavily scrutinized. The explosive pace and relentless pressing of his prime have faded.

Still, he has adapted. Ronaldo now lives almost entirely in the penalty area, leaning on sharp movement and elite finishing in what analysts call the Positions of Maximum Opportunity, or POMO. That shift has kept his club numbers high and pushed his Portugal tally to 143 goals in 228 caps.

Even so, his role in the national team is no longer guaranteed. The uncertainty is tied to a recent barren run at major tournaments.

Ronaldo’s last goal at a World Cup or European Championship came from the penalty spot against Ghana at Qatar 2022. His last open-play strike at a major event goes back further, to Portugal’s group game against Germany at Euro 2020, played in June 2021.

Since that penalty in Qatar, Ronaldo has played nine matches across the World Cup and Euros without scoring. It has not been for lack of effort. He continues to get into scoring spots and take shots, but the end product has dried up when it matters most.

DR Congo presents a unique challenge in Houston. The Leopards have not played at a World Cup since 1974, when they competed as Zaire, so they are short on experience at this level. But they are not short on organization.

Under Sebastien Desabre, DR Congo has become a disciplined, hard-to-break-down unit. The team shifts between a compact 4-1-4-1 and a solid back three, designed to clog central spaces and limit chances inside the box.

With Chancel Mbemba and Axel Tuanzebe anchoring the defense and a holding midfielder screening in front, the Leopards rarely get opened up. They concede few clear looks, and under Desabre they have not lost a match by more than a single goal.

That structure is built to neutralize the exact zones Ronaldo now depends on. His game is based on quick movements across the six-yard box, attacking crosses, and punishing the smallest lapse. DR Congo’s system is designed to erase those half-yards.

To end a drought that stretches back five years for open-play goals and nine games overall, Ronaldo will need to find ways around a defensive block that thrives on denying space.

Portugal enters as a heavy favorite, with talent across the pitch and a recent run of wins behind them. But for their captain, Wednesday is personal. A sixth World Cup is historic in itself. Scoring in it, and shaking off a major-tournament dry spell, would matter even more.