Who: Portugal vs DR Congo
What: FIFA World Cup 2026 Group K match
Where: Houston Stadium, Houston, Texas, United States
When: Wednesday, 12pm (17:00 GMT)
How to follow: Keep up with all updates on Al Jazeera Sport
Portugal will seek to put 60 years of World Cup hurt behind them when their 2026 campaign begins with a Group K clash with the Democratic Republic of Congo in Houston.
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While it’s England fans who harken back to the glory days of 1966, the Three Lions have had it considerably better than Portugal since then.
Superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is seeking to add to his legend by scoring in a sixth World Cup and is dreaming of lifting the only major trophy to elude him in his final tournament.
Their group stage begins with a clash with DR Congo, who have qualified for just the second time but await their first goal – and point – in a World Cup fixture.
Can Ronaldo crown career by helping Portugal to first World Cup trophy?
It’s been 60 years since Portugal’s best World Cup showing, a third-place finish inspired by Eusebio in England in 1966 on their tournament debut.
They have only returned to the semifinals once since, in 2006, and disappointingly went out in the last eight in Qatar 2022 to Morocco after cruising through a tricky group and then pummelling Switzerland 6-1 in the round of 16.
While they do have trophies to show for this golden era – the 2016 UEFA European Championships (Euro 2016) and Nations League last year after a shootout win over Spain – the World Cup has always been the one which got away.
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Widely considered to be a contender this time, confidence should be high with Vitinha, Joao Neves and Nune Mendes fresh from helping French super club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) to a second straight Champions League title, while Bruno Fernandes shone for Manchester United, registering a Premier League record 21 assists.
And then there’s Cristiano, who endured a season of frustration with Saudi club side Al-Nassr, despite netting 30 goals in 37 appearances in all competitions.
Ronaldo is the only survivor from Portugal’s Euros 2016 triumph, and entering World Cup 2026, he is the only man to have scored in five editions of the tournament (2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022).
However, of his eight World Cup goals, none have come in knockout games, and he was dropped for the Switzerland game in Qatar – his first non-start at a major tournament in 14 years.
His only goal in the last World Cup came from a penalty, and he was scoreless at Euro 2024, when another quarterfinal exit followed on penalties to France.
Should Portugal finish top of Group K, they will play their last-32 match against a third-placed finisher, and it would coincide with the anniversary of forward Diogo Jota’s death on July 3.
The ex-Liverpool forward passed away in a road accident shortly after helping Portugal lift the UEFA Nations League, and the players are set to wear wristbands in his memory during the match.
DR Congo look to write new history on World Cup return
After being pipped to automatic tournament entry by Senegal, DR Congo eventually qualified for their first World Cup in 52 years – previously competing as Zaire – with a 1-0 win over Jamaica in their intercontinental playoff in Mexico in March.
Their preparations have been hampered due to an Ebola outbreak, and Portugal is a tough ask to begin their campaign, but the meeting with Uzbekistan on June 27 could give Sebastien Desabre’s men the chance of finishing third in the group and securing a potential knockout tie.
While they may not be household names, DR Congo boast plenty of English Premier League experience. Their defence features West Ham’s Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Axel Tuanzebe of Burnley, who scored the extra-time goal which saw them qualify, as well as Sunderland left-back Arthur Masuaku.
His 20-year-old Sunderland teammate Noah Sadiki has been a revelation in the midfield, and Newcastle United’s Yoane Wissa and 35-year-old Cedric Bakambu of Real Betis will lead the line against Portugal.
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As the first sub-Saharan nation to reach a World Cup, then-African champions Zaire lost all three games in 1974, including a 9-0 humbling by Yugoslavia. In a separate group match against Brazil, full-back Mwepu Ilunga famously charged out of the wall to boot away a Brazilian free-kick in one of the World Cup’s enduring images.
It later emerged that the act, which earned him a booking, was an attempt to waste time in the form of political protest, as the players had been threatened with exile if they lost by more than three goals – they were trailing 2-0 at the time.
The contest finished 3-0, and they were allowed home, though football in the nation has largely been in the doldrums ever since, until a recent upturn under Desabre.
Despite that, perhaps the most recognisable figure in modern Congolese football is actually a super fan.
Michel Nkuka Mboladinga has spent the past 13 years attending Leopards games while wearing colourful suits and standing still and silent with one arm raised, imitating a statue of revered Congolese political leader Patrice Lumumba.
His presence in the crowd at the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) in January caught the attention of the world, and he has subsequently been included in the nation’s official delegation for the tournament, reportedly at the request of the players.
How does the group stage work?
Portugal, DR Congo, Colombia and Uzbekistan are in Group K.
They will play each other once in the initial stage of the tournament. The top two teams from each of the 12 groups – along with the eight best third-placed teams – will proceed to the next phase, the round of 32, which has been introduced at the World Cup for the first time.
This will be the first meeting of the two nations, and if the Leopards were to spring a surprise, it would be one of the biggest in the competition’s history.
Form guide:
(Last five games, latest match first)
Portugal: W-W-W-D-W
DR Congo: L-D-W-L-W
Portugal go into the tournament off the back of three straight wins over USA, Chile and Nigeria, following a goalless friendly with Mexico in March.
DR Congo were beaten 2-1 by the same Chile side on June 9 in their second and final warm-up game, but played out a stalemate with Denmark six days before, where they introduced an experimental five-man defence formation. Their previous games were the qualifying win over Jamaica in March and the AFCON last-16 defeat to Algeria in January.
Team news
While Portugal coach Roberto Martinez has a clean bill of health going into the opening game, the elephant in the room is their famous 41-year-old forward.
Ronaldo hasn’t scored from open play in his past two major international tournaments, and his on-field powers are waning, missing some good opportunities in the warm-up win over Nigeria to add to his 143 international goals.
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The popular striker is sure to win his 229th cap, but will it be from the start or in a cameo off the bench?
Portugal’s predicted XI: D Costa (goalkeeper); Cancelo, Dias, Inacio, Mendes; J Neves, Fernandes, Vitinha; Bernardo, Ronaldo, Neto.
DR Congo’s predicted XI: Mpasi (goalkeeper); Wan-Bissaka, Kapuadi, Tuanzebe, Mbemba, Masuaku; Moutoussamy, Sadiki, Mukau; Wissa, Bakambu.
What are the predictions for Portugal vs DR Congo?
Not surprisingly, Portugal, currently ranked fifth in the FIFA world rankings, are strong favourites heading into this opening Group K matchup.
DR Congo, one of Africa’s most improved footballing nations, is in with a puncher’s chance of victory according to Opta at nearly a one-in-four chance of causing an upset at Houston Stadium.
You can follow the action on Al Jazeera’s dedicated FIFA World Cup 2026 page with all the latest news, match build-up and live text commentary and keep up to date with group standings, real-time match results and schedules.