Portugal begin their quest to finally be crowned champions with a match against Congo in their 2026 FIFA World Cup opener on Wednesday evening in Houston.
The Portuguese headline Group K and are favorites to finish top ahead of the Congolese, Colombia and Uzbekistan.
Despite never winning the World Cup, Portugal are deemed as part of the favorites in this edition with the quality in their squad. Cristiano Ronaldo will captain his nation in what will surely be his last appearance in the global showpiece.
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The 41-year-old came into the tournament as the only player to score at five different World Cups. He is set to make his 229th appearance for the national side.
Portugal come into the game on the back of three successive friendly wins against USA, Chile and Nigeria. Roberto Martinez side are keen to get off to a winning start against the Leopards.
Congo are returning to the World Cup after a 52-year absence, where they lost all three games and conceded 14 goals at the 1974 edition in Germany.
Portugal come into the game ranked in fifth place globally by FIFA after winning the UEFA Nations League in 2025, while Congo are in 46th place.
History beckons as these two nations prepare to battle it out in their first ever encounter. Will the Portuguese live up to the expectations or can the Leopards of Congo cause what will be one of the tournaments biggest upsets?
Betway
Here is a detailed preview of the match as well as our predicted outcome.
What time does Portugal vs Congo start?
The match will kick off at 8PM E.A.T at the NRG Stadium.
Portugal vs Congo team news
The Selecao have no injury concerns ahead of the match and are set to field their strongest XI.
Ruben Dias and Joao Cancelo are both fit to start and will be the key figures in defence as well as attacking options on the flank.
PSG trio of Vitinha, Joao Neves and Nuno Mendes are all fresh off winning the Champions League and will all start in midfield.
Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes will provide the creativity in the middle, while Pedro Neto and Bernardo Silva start in support of Cristiano Ronaldo.
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For Congo, there are plenty of experienced players in the squad and they are all available to start. Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Arthur Masuaku and Axel Tuanzebe all set to be part of the starting XI.
Yoanne Wissa and Cedric Bakambu are the headline names in the Congo attack, and they will have the responsibility to provide attacking options up front.
Portugal vs Congo head-to-head and current form
Portugal are unbeaten in their last five matches – winning four of them, including a 2-1 win against Nigeria in their last outing. They have scored 15 goals and conceded three in that run.
Congo are coming off a 2-1 loss to Chile in their final warm-up friendly, a second defeat in their last five matches.
This will be the first competitive meeting between these two nations.
Current form:
Portugal – WWWDW
Congo – LDWWL
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Portugal vs Congo prediction
Portugal have shown their ability to score goals, and they are expected to score at least one here. Ronaldo is favorite to score a 144th goal for his country.
Congo have been solid defensively but will need to be at their very best if they are to cause an upset here.
Prediction – Portugal to win
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