Portugal v Congo DR, 17 June 2026

Score1-1
RefereeAbdulrahman Al Jassim
CompetitionFIFA World Cup Group K
VenueNRG Stadium, Houston TX
Attendance68,777

View Portugal v Congo DR head to head

Kick-off: 12.00pm local . FIFA World Ranking: Portugal 5th, Congo DR 46th . This was the first-ever meeting at ‘A’ international level.

1 Portugal

Manager: Roberto Martínez

1 Congo DR

Manager: Sebastien Desabre

Goals:

João Neves 6 G

Goals:

Yoane Wissa 45+5 G

Starting lineup:

Goalkeeper Diogo Costa
Defender Tomás Araújo
Defender/Midfielder João Cancelo
Defender/Midfielder João Neves
Defender/Midfielder Nuno Mendes
Defender/Midfielder Renato Veiga
Midfielder Bruno Fernandes
Midfielder Pedro Neto
Midfielder Vitinha
Midfielder/Forward Bernardo Silva
Forward Cristiano Ronaldo (captain)

Starting lineup:

Lionel Mpasi Goalkeeper
Steve Kapuadi Defender
Chancel Mbemba Defender (captain)
Axel Tuanzebe Defender
Arthur Masuaku Defender/Midfielder
Aaron Wan-Bissaka Defender/Midfielder
Edo Kayembe Midfielder
Samuel Moutoussamy Midfielder
Ngal'ayel Mukau Midfielder
Yoane Wissa Midfielder/Forward
Cédric Bakambu Forward

Substitutions:

Francisco Conceição for Bernardo Silva 46
Nélson Semedo for Nuno Mendes 72
Rafael Leão for Pedro Neto 72
Gonçalo Ramos for Vitinha 83

Substitutions:

Noah Sadiki for Ngal'ayel Mukau 57
Joris Kayembe for Arthur Masuaku 74
Charles Pickel for Edo Kayembe 74
Simon Banza for Cédric Bakambu 85
Gédéon Kalulu for Aaron Wan-Bissaka 85

Cards:

Bernardo Silva 13 Y
Nélson Semedo 88 Y
Tomás Araújo 90+2 Y

Cards:

Chancel Mbemba 32 Y

On the bench:

Goalkeeper José Sá
Goalkeeper Rui Silva
Defender Gonçalo Inácio
Defender Nélson Semedo
Defender Rúben Dias
Defender/Midfielder Diogo Dalot
Defender/Midfielder Matheus Nunes
Midfielder Rúben Neves
Midfielder Samú Costa
Midfielder/Forward Francisco Conceição
Midfielder/Forward Gonçalo Ramos
Midfielder/Forward João Félix
Midfielder/Forward Rafael Leão
Midfielder/Forward Trincão
Forward Gonçalo Guedes

On the bench:

Goalkeeper Matthieu Epolo
Goalkeeper Timothy Fayulu
Defender Dylan Batubinsika
Defender Gédéon Kalulu
Defender/Midfielder Joris Kayembe
Defender/Midfielder Noah Sadiki
Midfielder Charles Pickel
Midfielder Aaron Tshibola
Midfielder/Forward Simon Banza
Midfielder/Forward Theo Bongonda
Midfielder/Forward Brian Cipenga
Midfielder/Forward Meschak Elia
Midfielder/Forward Gaël Kakuta
Midfielder/Forward Fiston Mayele
Midfielder/Forward Nathanael Mbuku

Comments:

Having lost their last group game in Qatar in 2022 (versus Korea Republic), Portugal avoided losing consecutive group games at FIFA World Cup finals for the first time since 2002. . Aged 41 years and 132 days, Cristiano Ronaldo had now become the oldest-ever outfield player to start a game at a FIFA World Cup tournament: previously Canada’s Atiba Hutchinson versus Croatia in Al Rayyan, Qatar in 2022 (39 years and 292 days). . Aged 21 years and 263 days, João Neves had now become the third youngest-ever player to score for Portugal at a FIFA World Cup finals after Cristiano Ronaldo (21 years and 132 days in 2006) and Gonçalo Ramos (21 years and 169 days in 2022).

Comments:

With a gap of 52 years since their only previous participation at a FIFA World Cup tournament, Congo DR had now earned their first point and scored their first goal. They conceded 14 goals in their three games in 1974. . In the FIFA World Cup finals in Germany in 1974, when they were known as Zaire, they were the only African nation competing. Africa would be represented by ten nations in the 2026 tournament. . African nations had now avoided defeat in five of their nine games so far in this FIFA World Cup tournament (won one).

1 Portugal

Manager: Roberto Martínez

Goals:

João Neves 6 G

Starting lineup:

Goalkeeper Diogo Costa
Defender Tomás Araújo
Defender/Midfielder João Cancelo
Defender/Midfielder João Neves
Defender/Midfielder Nuno Mendes
Defender/Midfielder Renato Veiga
Midfielder Bruno Fernandes
Midfielder Pedro Neto
Midfielder Vitinha
Midfielder/Forward Bernardo Silva
Forward Cristiano Ronaldo (captain)

Substitutions:

Francisco Conceição for Bernardo Silva 46
Nélson Semedo for Nuno Mendes 72
Rafael Leão for Pedro Neto 72
Gonçalo Ramos for Vitinha 83

Cards:

Bernardo Silva 13 Y
Nélson Semedo 88 Y
Tomás Araújo 90+2 Y

On the bench:

Goalkeeper José Sá
Goalkeeper Rui Silva
Defender Gonçalo Inácio
Defender Nélson Semedo
Defender Rúben Dias
Defender/Midfielder Diogo Dalot
Defender/Midfielder Matheus Nunes
Midfielder Rúben Neves
Midfielder Samú Costa
Midfielder/Forward Francisco Conceição
Midfielder/Forward Gonçalo Ramos
Midfielder/Forward João Félix
Midfielder/Forward Rafael Leão
Midfielder/Forward Trincão
Forward Gonçalo Guedes

Comments:

Having lost their last group game in Qatar in 2022 (versus Korea Republic), Portugal avoided losing consecutive group games at FIFA World Cup finals for the first time since 2002. . Aged 41 years and 132 days, Cristiano Ronaldo had now become the oldest-ever outfield player to start a game at a FIFA World Cup tournament: previously Canada’s Atiba Hutchinson versus Croatia in Al Rayyan, Qatar in 2022 (39 years and 292 days). . Aged 21 years and 263 days, João Neves had now become the third youngest-ever player to score for Portugal at a FIFA World Cup finals after Cristiano Ronaldo (21 years and 132 days in 2006) and Gonçalo Ramos (21 years and 169 days in 2022).

1 Congo DR

Manager: Sebastien Desabre

Goals:

Yoane Wissa 45+5 G

Starting lineup:

Lionel Mpasi Goalkeeper
Steve Kapuadi Defender
Chancel Mbemba Defender (captain)
Axel Tuanzebe Defender
Arthur Masuaku Defender/Midfielder
Aaron Wan-Bissaka Defender/Midfielder
Edo Kayembe Midfielder
Samuel Moutoussamy Midfielder
Ngal'ayel Mukau Midfielder
Yoane Wissa Midfielder/Forward
Cédric Bakambu Forward

Substitutions:

Noah Sadiki for Ngal'ayel Mukau 57
Joris Kayembe for Arthur Masuaku 74
Charles Pickel for Edo Kayembe 74
Simon Banza for Cédric Bakambu 85
Gédéon Kalulu for Aaron Wan-Bissaka 85

Cards:

Chancel Mbemba 32 Y

On the bench:

Goalkeeper Matthieu Epolo
Goalkeeper Timothy Fayulu
Defender Dylan Batubinsika
Defender Gédéon Kalulu
Defender/Midfielder Joris Kayembe
Defender/Midfielder Noah Sadiki
Midfielder Charles Pickel
Midfielder Aaron Tshibola
Midfielder/Forward Simon Banza
Midfielder/Forward Theo Bongonda
Midfielder/Forward Brian Cipenga
Midfielder/Forward Meschak Elia
Midfielder/Forward Gaël Kakuta
Midfielder/Forward Fiston Mayele
Midfielder/Forward Nathanael Mbuku

Comments:

With a gap of 52 years since their only previous participation at a FIFA World Cup tournament, Congo DR had now earned their first point and scored their first goal. They conceded 14 goals in their three games in 1974. . In the FIFA World Cup finals in Germany in 1974, when they were known as Zaire, they were the only African nation competing. Africa would be represented by ten nations in the 2026 tournament. . African nations had now avoided defeat in five of their nine games so far in this FIFA World Cup tournament (won one).