Portugal vs DR Congo: FIFA World Cup 2026 Preview
- Who: Portugal vs DR Congo
- What: FIFA World Cup 2026 Group 'K' Match
- Where: Houston Stadium, Texas, USA
- When: Wednesday, 10:45 PM
Texas. As Portugal begins its 2026 campaign with a Group 'K' clash against the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) in Houston, it will be trying to forget 60 years of World Cup pain.
Although England fans may recall the glorious days of 1966, the Three Lions' situation has been much better than Portugal's since then.
Superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is trying to elevate his saga further by scoring in his sixth World Cup. In his last tournament, he dreams of lifting this one major trophy that has so far eluded him.
Their group stage journey will begin with a clash against DR Congo. DR Congo has qualified for the World Cup only for the second time and is waiting for its first goal and points in the World Cup.
Meanwhile, the question on everyone's mind is: Will Ronaldo complete his career by giving Portugal its first World Cup trophy?
It has been 60 years since Portugal had a great performance in the World Cup. In their first World Cup in England in 1966, they finished third thanks to the inspirational performance of Eusébio.
Since then, they have only reached the semi-finals in 2006. In the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, after navigating a tough group and beating Switzerland 6-1 in the Round of 16, they were disappointed to be defeated by Morocco in the quarter-finals.
In this golden era, they have trophies to show for it. The UEFA European Championship (Euro 2016) and the Nations League, which they won last year by beating Spain in a penalty shootout, are examples of this. However, the World Cup has always remained beyond their reach.
Portugal, considered contenders this time, should have high morale. Vítinha, João Neves, and Nuno Mendes have just helped French super club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) win their second consecutive Champions League title. On the other hand, Bruno Fernandes has had an excellent season for Manchester United, registering a record 21 assists in the Premier League.
And then there is Cristiano. Despite scoring 30 goals in 37 games across all competitions for Saudi club Al-Nassr, he had a disappointing season.
Ronaldo is the only player remaining from the Euro 2016 winning squad. As they enter the 2026 World Cup, he is the only male player to have scored in five editions of this tournament (2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022).
However, none of his eight World Cup goals have been in knockout matches. In Qatar, he was not included in the starting eleven against Switzerland. It was the first time in 14 years that he was not a starter in a major tournament.
His only goal in the last World Cup was from a penalty. He was goalless in Euro 2024, where Portugal was eliminated in the quarter-finals after losing to France on penalties.
Ronaldo finished as Portugal's top scorer in the qualifiers. His five goals were joint-highest in UEFA Group 'F'. Currently 41 years old, he is the only player to have scored in five World Cups.
The Al-Nassr forward is set to become the second oldest outfield player (excluding goalkeepers) to play in a World Cup, after Roger Milla (42). He is also in contention with Lionel Messi to become the player to play in six World Cups.
If Portugal finishes top of Group 'K', they will play their Round of 32 match against a third-placed team. Coincidentally, the match will fall on July 3, the anniversary of the death of forward Diogo Jota.
The former Liverpool forward passed away in a road accident shortly after helping Portugal win the UEFA Nations League. The players have decided to wear wristbands in his memory during the match.
- DR Congo aims to create new history on World Cup return
DR Congo has finally qualified for its first World Cup in 52 years. The nation, previously competing as Zaire, secured its World Cup berth by defeating Jamaica 1-0 in the Intercontinental Playoff in Mexico in March.
Their preparations have been hampered by the spread of Ebola. Facing a strong opponent like Portugal at the start of the campaign will be challenging for them. However, the match against Uzbekistan on June 27 could give Sébastien Desabre's team a chance to finish third in the group and advance to the potential knockout stage.
Although their players may not be very famous, DR Congo has plenty of English Premier League experience. In their defense, they have Aaron Wan-Bissaka of West Ham and Axel Tuanzebe of Burnley. Tuanzebe scored in extra time to secure the team's qualification. Also in the squad is left-back Arthur Masuaku of Sunderland.
Their 20-year-old Sunderland teammate Noah Sadiki has proven to be excellent in midfield. Yoane Wissa of Newcastle United and 35-year-old Cédric Bakambu of Real Betis will lead the attack against Portugal.
As the first sub-Saharan nation to reach the World Cup, then-African champions Zaire lost all three matches in 1974. This included a humiliating 9-0 defeat to Yugoslavia. In another group stage match against Brazil, full-back Mwepu Ilunga ran off the 'wall' and kicked away a Brazilian free-kick, a scene considered unforgettable in World Cup history.
It was later revealed that his act, for which he received a yellow card, was an attempt to waste time as a political protest. This was because the players had been threatened with exile if they lost by more than three goals. At that time, they were trailing 2-0.
The match ended 3-0, and they were allowed to return home. However, the country's football remained stagnant for a long time until recent improvements under Desabre's leadership.
Despite this, perhaps the most recognizable face in modern Congolese football is a 'super fan'.
Michel Nkuka Mboladinga has been watching Congolese national team matches for the past 13 years, wearing colorful suits. During this time, he stands still and calm with one hand raised, imitating the statue of the revered Congolese political leader Patrice Lumumba.
His presence in the crowd at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in January drew global attention. At the request of the players, he has reportedly been included in the nation's official delegation for this World Cup.
- How will the group stage operate?
Portugal, DR Congo, Colombia, and Uzbekistan are in Group 'K'.
In the initial stage of the competition, they will play each other once. The top two teams from all 12 groups and the eight best third-placed teams will advance to the next stage, the Round of 32. The Round of 32 is being included in the World Cup for the first time.
- Portugal vs DR Congo: Head-to-Head
Portugal has been a regular participant in this competition, while DR Congo has not appeared on this stage for 52 years. These two nations have never faced each other in any competitive or friendly match before.
Portugal will become the fourth European (UEFA) nation to play DR Congo. In the 1974 World Cup, DR Congo lost to both Scotland and Yugoslavia (a 9-0 defeat to Yugoslavia). In a friendly match last month before the tournament, they drew 0-0 with Denmark.
Portugal's only two losses against African nations in the World Cup have been against Morocco. They lost to Morocco in the group stage in 1986 and in the quarter-finals in 2022.
However, they are undefeated against teams from sub-Saharan Africa. They have recorded three wins and one draw against teams from this region.
Form (Results of the last five matches, most recent game last):
- Portugal: Win-Win-Win-Draw-Win
- DR Congo: Loss-Draw-Win-Loss-Win
After playing a goalless friendly against Mexico in March, Portugal enters this competition with three consecutive wins against the USA, Chile, and Nigeria.
In their second and final practice match on June 9, DR Congo lost 2-1 to the same Chilean team. However, six days prior, they used a new formation with five defenders in a goalless draw with Denmark. Before that, they won their qualifier against Jamaica in March and lost to Algeria in the Round of 16 of AFCON in January.
Team News
As they head into their first match, Portugal's coach Roberto Martinez has no injury concerns in the squad. However, the issue of their 41-year-old star forward remains the center of everyone's attention.
Ronaldo has not scored from 'open play' in his last two major international tournaments. His impact on the field appears to be diminishing. In the practice match win against Nigeria, he missed good opportunities to add to his 143 international goals.
This popular striker is certain to win his 229th cap. But whether he will be in the starting eleven or come on from the bench remains to be seen.
- Portugal's probable XI: D Costa (Goalkeeper); Cancelo, Dias, Inácio, Mendes; J Neves, Fernandes, Vítinha; Bernardo, Ronaldo, Neto.
- DR Congo's probable XI: Mpasi (Goalkeeper); Wan-Bissaka, Kapuadi, Tuanzebe, Mbemba, Masuaku; Moutoussamy, Sadiki, Mukau; Wissa, Bakambu.
This specific news has been automatically translated by AI. As a result, there may be some inaccuracies or language errors.
