Portugal - Congo DR: score, highlights and statistics

Portugal face DR Congo on June 17, 2026 in Houston in the FIFA World Cup group stage - and it will be the first ever competitive meeting between these two nations in football history.

Match Info: Portugal vs DR Congo

Portugal vs DR Congo takes place on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, with kick-off at 18:00 BST (17:00 UTC) at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas. The fixture is part of Group K in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Where to Watch Portugal vs DR Congo?

In the United States, the match is broadcast on FOX on television and on Telemundo for Spanish-language audiences. Online, US viewers can stream via FOX One, Foxsports.com, Fubo TV, Peacock, and Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, as well as on Futbol de Primera Radio for the audio broadcast.

Canadian viewers can catch the game on TSN+. In Australia, the match streams on SBS On Demand, and viewers in New Zealand can watch on TVNZ+. Brazil's audience has access through CazéTV, while Italian viewers can watch on DAZN Italia.

Portugal supporters can follow their team on Sport TV Multiscreen. France has coverage on 6play and beIN SPORTS CONNECT F.R., Spain on DAZN España, Argentina on DIRECTV GO and TV channel DIRECTV Sports Argentina, and Mexico on VIX. Polish viewers have free access on TVP 2, TVP Sport, sport.tvp.pl and the TVP Sport App.

Portugal vs DR Congo - Match Preview

Portugal, ranked 6th in the world, open their 2026 World Cup campaign against a DR Congo side making their first appearance at the tournament in 52 years - a fixture with no historical precedent and enormous symbolic weight.

Group K is the setting for one of the tournament's most intriguing opening rounds. Portugal, seeded from pot 1, share the group with Colombia (ranked 13th), Uzbekistan (50th), and DR Congo (56th). Roberto Martinez's squad balances the veteran presence of Cristiano Ronaldo - appearing at his sixth World Cup - with a younger generation of technically gifted players. For Ronaldo, the 2026 tournament is the final stage on which he can claim the one major trophy still absent from his collection.

DR Congo's presence alone is a story. The Leopards last appeared at a World Cup in 1974, when the country was called Zaire, and they qualified only through the inter-confederation playoff, defeating Jamaica 1-0 in extra time thanks to a goal from former Manchester United defender Axel Tuanzebe. That single goal ended a 52-year wait and placed them in the same group as European giants Portugal. DR Congo enters the tournament as the underdog, but their defensive record - just 2 goals conceded in their last 5 matches - demands respect.

Head-to-Head: Portugal vs DR Congo

The match on June 17, 2026 is a genuine first - Portugal and DR Congo (or its predecessor, Zaire) have never met on a football pitch at any level, making this an entirely uncharted fixture for both nations.

Official FIFA data confirms that none of the 6 matches scheduled in Group K had a prior precedent. The only meeting on record between these two nations will be the one played in Houston:

• June 17, 2026 - FIFA World Cup, Group K - first ever meeting

Portugal - Recent Form

Portugal arrive at the World Cup with 2 wins, 2 draws and 1 defeat across their last 5 matches, scoring 13 goals and conceding 5.

The defining result of their recent campaign was a 9-1 demolition of Armenia in November 2025 in UEFA World Cup qualifying - one of the highest-scoring victories in Portuguese football history. That thrashing stood in stark contrast to a 0-2 away defeat to the Republic of Ireland, a reminder that Martinez's side is not immune to off days. A 2-2 draw with Hungary in Lisbon rounded out a mixed qualifying run that nevertheless ended with Portugal topping their UEFA group.

In two pre-tournament friendlies played on future World Cup soil in March 2026, Portugal beat the United States 2-0 before drawing 0-0 with Mexico. The results pointed to a tactically cautious side that defends well and picks its moments in attack - a profile that suits a tournament opener against an unknown opponent on familiar ground.

DR Congo - Recent Form

DR Congo enter the World Cup in solid form, recording 3 wins, 1 draw and 1 defeat in their last 5 matches while conceding just 2 goals.

Their most important recent result came on March 31, 2026, when they defeated Jamaica 1-0 after extra time in the inter-confederation playoff final - the goal that secured their World Cup place. Before that historic win, they had beaten Bermuda 2-0 in a friendly and swept past Botswana 3-0 away in the CAF Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in December 2025.

The only blemish in this sequence was a 0-1 defeat to Algeria in CAF AFCON in January 2026. Their most recent outing - a 0-0 draw against Denmark on June 3, 2026 - underlined the defensive organisation coach Sébastien Desabre has built. Holding Denmark scoreless is no small feat, and it suggests DR Congo plan to make Portugal work hard for anything they get in Houston on June 17.

Facts and Statistics

5 facts to know before this historic encounter:

• Portugal and DR Congo have never previously met in any competitive or friendly fixture - June 17, 2026 is the absolute first encounter in their footballing histories.
• DR Congo last appeared at a World Cup in 1974, when they competed as Zaire - a gap of 52 years between their only two finals appearances.
• Cristiano Ronaldo participates in his sixth FIFA World Cup, placing him among just 5 players ever to have reached that landmark.
• Portugal are ranked 50 places above DR Congo in the FIFA world rankings (6th vs 56th).
• DR Congo qualified via the inter-confederation playoff, defeating Jamaica 1-0 in extra time through Axel Tuanzebe's goal on March 31, 2026 - one of the most dramatic qualification routes in the 2026 cycle.