JAKARTA - The Portugal national team will start their fight at the 2026 World Cup by facing the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in the opening match of Group K. On paper, the Selecao das Quinas are heavily favored to win the first victory.
The match between Portugal and Congo will take place at the Houston Stadium, United States, on Wednesday local time or Thursday, June 18, 2026, at 00.00 WIB. This is the first test for Portugal who are included in the list as one of the favorite teams of the prestigious tournament.
Portugal came to the United States as one of the strong candidates for the champion. Although they have never lifted the World Cup trophy, the quality of the squad owned by Roberto Martinez's team is included in the list of serious contenders for this year's title.
Portugal's best performance at the World Cup was created in the 1966 edition when they finished in third place. After that, the next best achievement was to finish fourth in 2006 and stop in the quarter-finals at the last 2022 edition.
In recent decades, Portugal has often been considered incapable of maximizing the potential of the golden generation they have. Although they managed to win the 2016 European Cup, the World Cup trophy is still the biggest target that has not been realized, including for the megastar Cristiano Ronaldo.
This year, the golden opportunity for Portugal came again with a pretty luxurious squad. They are predicted to be able to become champions of Group K which is also inhabited by Colombia and Uzbekistan and most likely can go far into the final stages of the tournament.
Portugal entered this tournament with a positive capital after winning three consecutive matches in the friendly matches against the United States, Chile, and Nigeria.
Previously in the qualifying phase, Portugal also performed impressively by closing their journey with a landslide victory 9-1 over Armenia. However, the defeat from the Republic of Ireland at the end of last year still raises doubts about their ability to really compete for the world champion title.
The match against RD Congo will be the first meeting in history between the two countries. Due to the difference in quality and experience at the international level, a result other than Portugal's victory will be considered one of the biggest surprises in this tournament.
RD Kongo came with high spirits after successfully returning to the World Cup final round for the first time in 52 years. The certainty of qualification was achieved through a 1-0 victory over Jamaica in the final match of the intercontinental playoff in Mexico.
The team nicknamed The Leopards held Denmark scoreless in an early June friendly before losing 1-2 to Chile. Sebastien Desabre's troops also reached the last African Cup of Nations 16 and now hope that the new expanded World Cup format can help them advance to the knockout stage.
On paper, Portugal is certainly the toughest opponent in Group K. Thus, the match against Uzbekistan on June 27 is expected to be the main determinant of RD Congo's chances to qualify for the next round.
Team condition
Portugal has no injury problems ahead of the opening match against Congo. Therefore, coach Roberto Martinez is expected to field his best composition from the first minute.
The main highlight is certainly directed to Cristiano Ronaldo who will lead the Selecao das Quinas front line. The 41-year-old striker has the opportunity to record his 229th appearance with the Portuguese national team.
In addition, Ronaldo also has ambitions to add to the collection of 143 international goals that he has scored throughout his career. The Portuguese captain certainly wants to improve the record at the 2022 World Cup when he was only able to score one goal throughout the tournament.
The Al-Nassr striker was sent off against the Republic of Ireland in last year's final qualifying match. However, the ban for the second and third matches was suspended for one year because the red card was his first after more than two decades of defending Portugal at international level.
Portugal will also be strengthened by a number of players who are in the best form. Nuno Mendes, Joao Neves, and Vitinha are expected to appear immediately from the start after playing an important role in bringing Paris Saint-Germain to win the 2025/2026 Champions League.
In addition, Bruno Fernandes is also almost certain to be included in the main lineup. The Manchester United midfielder has been consistent throughout the season and is expected to be the engine of Portugal's midfield.
In the RD Kongo camp, there are a number of names that are quite familiar to European football fans. Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Axel Tuanzebe, Chancel Mbemba, and Arthur Masuaku are expected to be part of the defense line which is likely to use a five-back scheme.
For the middle sector, Noah Sadiki who plays with Sunderland has the opportunity to get a place as a game organizer. Meanwhile, the main threat in the attack line will come from Yoane Wissa and Cedric Bakambu.
Bakambu is the top scorer in the RD Congo squad currently with a collection of 21 international goals. Meanwhile, Wissa has scored nine goals for the national team and is expected to be able to provide resistance to the Portuguese defense in a match that is predicted to be heavy for the Leopards.
Portugal vs Congo Formation Prediction:
Portugal (4-3-3): Diogo Costa; João Cancelo, Rúben Dias, Gonçalo Inácio, Nuno Mendes; João Neves, Bruno Fernandes, Vitinha; Bernardo Silva, Cristiano Ronaldo, Pedro Neto.
RD Congo (5-3-2): Lionel Mpasi; Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Steve Kapuadi, Axel Tuanzebe, Chancel Mbemba, Arthur Masuaku; Samuel Moutoussamy, Noah Sadiki, Ngal'ayel Mukau; Yoane Wissa, Cedric Bakambu.
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