Portugal vs DR Congo 2026 World Cup preview, team news, prediction and betting tips: Ronaldo to start strong in chase for global glory

Roberto Martínez’s side are among the tournament favourites and will expect to collect maximum points here.

DR Congo are making only their second-ever World Cup appearance and know that a positive result against one of Europe’s strongest sides would effectively secure their passage to the last 16. 

Group K opens with Portugal and DR Congo as the game’s most sharply contrasted sides, and a strong result here sets the tone for the entire group. 

Portugal need a convincing opening win to assert early control of a four-team draw that also includes Colombia and Uzbekistan.

Drop points on Matchday 1, and Roberto Martínez’s side would face unnecessary pressure heading into the remaining fixtures.

While they’re not outright favourites, Portugal are still one of the teams that can realistically win the 2026 World Cup. This title has evaded them throughout their history. 

However, they possess a squad equipped to get the job done. They have serial club winners across the pitch, which is why A Selecao das Quinas are the dark horses. 

Translating that kind of form onto the World Cup stage, however, has long been a problem for Portugal, who’ve appeared in the semi-finals only once since 1966. 

The team is led by 41-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo, who is competing in his sixth finals. 

His form will be crucial in ensuring Portugal progress, both in this opening fixture and the tournament overall. 

If the European giants fail to secure the trophy this year, their future prospects remain uncertain.

Portugal will represent DR Congo's toughest test in Group K, and their match against Uzbekistan on June 27 could be crucial to their chances of advancing.

Ending a 52-year World Cup absence with any kind of positive result, even a narrow defeat that keeps goal difference manageable, would represent a platform from which to chase qualification through the final two group games.

The expanded World Cup has certainly given Sebastien Desabre's team a better chance of reaching the knockout round of the competition, with one victory in the section potentially being enough to qualify in third spot.

This will be the first-ever H2H between these sides. 

Portugal’s last World Cup campaign ended at the hands of African opponents Morocco (1-0), but they were victorious against Nigeria in their final friendly last week (2-1).

Portugal finished their qualification campaign for this competition with a 9-1 win over Armenia, but they did lose to the Republic of Ireland late last year, and there remain question marks over their ability to seriously challenge for the trophy this summer.

Congo DR reached the last 16 of the recent Africa Cup of Nations, and they have won two of their last four matches, only suffering one defeat in the process.

*Odds sourced from SportyBet and are correct at the time of publishing. Always gamble responsibly.

Even at 41, Cristiano Ronaldo remains a significant threat to Axel Tuanzebe and company. 

He holds the men’s record for international appearances with 227 caps and goals with 143 strikes. 

When he’s tiring, PSG’s Goncalo Ramos is coming on to replace him. This ensures sustained pressure on the African side. 

Portugal remain unbeaten in their last five matches, securing consecutive victories in their previous three. 

Seeing as they scored twice in each of those three wins, a similar outcome is likely at NRG Stadium in Houston. 

DR Congo’s final fixture before the World Cup was against a struggling Chile side, yet Desabre’s team still lost. 

That means the Leopards are on a run of two games without victory, while that’s extended to three inside regulation time. 

With Congo conceding twice against Chile, Portugal are well-positioned to register a victory by a margin of two or more goals.

Given the quality in Portugal’s squad, particularly their attacking contingent, they are expected to score plenty. 

They’ve scored exactly twice in each of their last three outings and have netted 15 goals in their previous five matches, an average of three goals per game. 

That will concern Desabre and his team, especially since they’ve been struggling for that fluidity in front of goal. 

The Leopards only scored four goals in their previous five internationals, an average of less than a goal per game, and have failed to score in three matches (60%) after 90 minutes. 

Additionally, A Selecao das Quinas kept clean sheets in two of their last four games. A similar pattern emerged across their last 10 outings, as half of those games saw just one team find the back of the net. 

Given the defensive quality Portugal possess, they are expected to frustrate the DR Congo forwards.

Backing CR7 to score is a logical option, but there is limited value in that market. 

However, the man behind him presents a strong alternative for an assist, with Bruno Fernandes recently concluding his most creative campaign for Manchester United. 

The midfielder broke the Premier League record for the number of assists in a single season, registering 21 in total for the campaign. 

Fernandes has registered seven assists across his recent 10 outings for both club and country. For the national team alone, he recorded two assists in his last three appearances. 

He will operate effectively with Vitinha and Joao Neves behind him, giving him the freedom to focus on the attack. With Ronaldo ready to convert chances, Fernandes is likely to secure an assist. 

It’s for this reason that we suggest throwing your weight behind Bruno to be Portugal’s creative conductor on Wednesday.

Portugal have no injury concerns heading into this match, and there are unlikely to be any major surprises when it comes to their starting XI here, with 41-year-old Ronaldo set to lead the line on his 229th appearance for the national side.

Ronaldo will be aiming to add to his 143 international goals this summer and will be looking to improve on a disappointing 2022 World Cup, which saw him score only once.

The Al-Nassr striker was sent off against the Republic of Ireland in a qualifier at the end of last year, but he had the second and third matches suspended for a year since it was the veteran's first red card in 225 international appearances.

Nuno Mendes, Joao Neves and Vitinha, all fresh off winning the 2025-26 Champions League with PSG, are all set to start. 

Bruno Fernandes, who had an outstanding season for Manchester United, will also feature in the first XI.

As for Congo DR, there are plenty of recognisable names in their squad, including Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Tuanzebe, Chancel Mbemba and Arthur Masuaku, who are all expected to operate in what is likely to be a back five.

Sunderland's Noah Sadiki is in line to feature in the middle of midfield, while there will be two notable players in the final third of the field in the shape of Newcastle United's Yoane Wissa and Real Betis' Cedric Bakambu.

Bakambu is the leading goalscorer in the squad with 21, while Wissa, who struggled for Newcastle last season, has nine international goals to his name.

D Costa; Cancelo, Dias, Inácio, Mendes; J Neves, Fernandes, Vitinha; Bernardo, Ronaldo, Neto

Mpasi; Wan-Bissaka, Kapuadi, Tuanzebe, Mbemba, Masuaku; Moutoussamy, Sadiki, Mukau; Wissa, Bakambu

The contest between Portugal’s advancing full-backs and DR Congo’s wide defensive structure will likely determine how quickly this game opens up. 

Martínez’s system pushes Nuno Mendes and Diogo Dalot high, creating numerical overloads on both flanks and forcing DR Congo’s wide midfielders to track back and double up.

All signs point towards a tough opener for DR Congo, and we are expecting Portugal to be far too strong for their opponents on Wednesday.

Correct score prediction: Portugal 3-0 DR Congo