Portugal vs DR Congo live online: score, stats, goals and updates | FIFA World Cup 2026 Group K

Seb's stars

Under the Frenchman Sébastian Desabre, who took over as head coach in 2022, DR Congo head to North America with several players who have made a name for themselves in the European club game.

They include two former Manchester United men in Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Axel Tuanzebe. Lille's Chancel Mbemba, Newcastle’s Yoane Wissa, Sunderland’s Noah Sadiki and Real Betis’s Cédric Bakambu are also Congolese stars who have established themselves on the Old Continent.

Léopards see off African giants

That playoff win in Mexico came after a somewhat lengthy African qualification process. 

Sébastien Desabre's men missed out on an automatic World Cup berth when they finished second to Senegal in CAF Group B - a round-robin section that involved playing 10 games each. 

That sent DR Congo into a four-way knockout fight for Africa’s single inter-confederation playoff berth.

Cameroon and Nigeria are probably Africa’s best known World Cup teams, but the Congolese dispensed with both to secure their playoff matchup with Jamaica.
 

How did DR Congo qualify for the 2026 World Cup?

The Congolese ended their 52-year wait for a World Cup return by winning an inter-confederation playoff in March.

The Léopards beat Jamaica 1-0 in Guadalajara, thanks to an extra-time strike by defender Axel Tuanzebe.

Trio of changes for Congolese

Desabre makes three changes to the team that started DR Congo's final tournament tune-up, against Chile eight days ago.

Steve Kapuadi, Arthur Masuaku and Cédric Bakambu are in for the Congolese in Houston, with Noah Sadiki, Theo Bongonda and Nathanael Mbuku making way.

DR Congo lineup confirmed

Ahead of the Léopards' first World Cup game in more than 50 years, DR Congo boss Sébastian Desabre has named his lineup: Mpasi, Wan-Bissaka, Kapuadi, Tuanzebe, Mbemba, Masuaku, Mukau, Moutoussamy, Kayembe, Bakambu, Wissa.

Silva follows Cucu to Madrid

Silva's signing is the second announced by Real Madrid this week.

On Monday, the 15-time European champions confirmed a deal for Spain left-back Marc Cucurella, who joins from Chelsea on a six-year deal, for a transfer fee believed to be about €55 million ($63.7 million).

Real Madrid

Bernardo Silva joins Real Madrid: how Mourinho’s personal call seals stunning free transfer coup

For the full lowdown on Bernardo Silva's move to the Bernabéu, check out this piece by my colleagues Sergio López and Calum Roche.

Silva starts after Real deal

Bernardo Silva starts for Portugal on the day that Real Madrid confirmed he'll be joining the LaLiga giants.

Silva, who left Manchester City after nine seasons at the Etihad Stadium this summer, is to sign Madrid on a two-year deal, Los Blancos said today.

Ronnie just behind Roger

By the way, Ronaldo will also become the second oldest outfield player to appear at a men's World Cup.

The only player ahead of him is Roger Milla; the Cameroonian was 42 years and 39 days old when he played for the Indomitable Lions against Russia in 1994.

Portugal fans pose for photographs ahead of today's match in Houston.

Roberto rings the changes

Roberto Martínez makes five changes to the team that beat Nigeria in Portugal's final World Cup warm-up last week.

João Cancelo, Tomás Araújo, Renato Veiga, Nuno Mendes and Bernardo Silva all come into the team.

Among the players who drop out of the lineup is Manchester City center back Rúben Dias, who picked up a knock against the Super Eagles.

Portugal lineup confirmed

Well, it's official now. Ronaldo will become the second play to appear at six men's World Cups.

Roberto Martínez has named the following starting lineup against DR Congo: Costa, Cancelo, Araujo, Veiga, Nuno Mendes, Neves, Vitinha, Fernandes, Silva, Neto, Ronaldo.

World Cup 2026

Is this Cristiano Ronaldo’s last World Cup? Will he play in 2030?

Given that the 2030 tournament is going to be a home World Cup for Ronaldo, that got us wondering: might he even try and hold on until he's 45, and go to an unprecedented seventh finals?

Spoiler: it’s unlikely.

Read more.

CR7 to join World Cup's golden oldies

Ronaldo is also set to become the fourth oldest player ever to make an appearance at a World Cup.

Aged 41 years and 132 days old (I make it), he can today overtake Northern Irish goalkeeper Pat Jennings in the all-time standings.

Jennings was 41 precisely when he played against Brazil in the final round of group games at the 1986 World Cup.

World Cup 2026

Portugal’s World Cup puzzle: world-class talent, pressure and the Ronaldo conundrum

In this article, my AS colleague Roddy Cons has more on the Portuguese puzzle of fitting a 40-something Ronaldo into the Seleção's team.

CR7 set to equal Messi's new record

Whether, at the age of 41, Ronaldo is now an asset or an impediment to the Seleção is a matter for debate. The World Cup expert Jonathan Wilson has, for example, written in The Guardian that he “will probably end up hampering Portugal”. 

Wilson adds: “He lumbers about in an increasingly small sphere of influence, still decent in the air, still a good finisher, but barely able to move, lacking the explosive power that once made him great.”

Either way, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner is poised to play at his sixth men's World Cup, equalling the appearance record set by Argentina's Lionel Messi just yesterday.

Like Messi, Ronaldo first featured at the World Cup back in 2006. He has eight goals across his five tournaments so far.

Cristiano cleared to play despite Ireland red

Although a dismissal for violent conduct normally brings with it a three-match ban - which would have ruled Ronaldo out of today’s game - FIFA opted to suspend the second and third game of the forward's punishment.

In a statement in November, FIFA said: "If Cristiano Ronaldo commits another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during the probationary period, the suspension set out in the disciplinary decision shall be deemed automatically revoked and the remaining two matches must be served immediately."

Ronaldo served the non-suspended part of his ban in Portugal’s final World Cup qualifier, against Armenia three days after the Ireland loss.
 

How did Portugal qualify for the 2026 World Cup?

Portugal have not missed a World Cup this century - and maintained that run by topping UEFA qualifying Group F last autumn.

They finished three points ahead of the Republic of Ireland, winning four games out of six. 

Portugal's sole qualifying defeat came against the Irish: a 2-0 defeat in Dubin in November. Memorably, this was a game in which Cristiano Ronaldo was shown a straight red card for elbowing Ireland defender Dara O'Shea.

That's the only time Ronaldo has ever been sent off in his (frankly ridiculous) 228 appearances for Portugal.

What do the bookies make of Portugal?

Portugal are the joint-fourth favorites in the betting.

At the moment, the Portuguese have moneyline odds of +800 to win the World Cup on July 19. France (+450), Spain (+500) and England (+700) are ahead of Martínez's men, with Argentina (+800) level pegging.

Anyway: to today’s action in Houston

Portugal, whose squad is stacked with talent, head to North America as one of the major frontrunners to lift the World Cup at MetLife Stadium in just over a month's time. I mean, just look at that midfield.

Opta’s ‘supercomputer’ has been running the simulations - and the soccer stats specialists have determined that Portugal have a 7.55% chance of winning their first ever world title.

That makes Roberto Martínez’s men, as things stand, the fifth favourite. Per Opta, Portugal are behind France (15.63%), Argentina (12.65%), Spain (12.21%) and England (9.81%).

World Cup 2026

Kylian Mbappé breaks France scoring record: How many goals has Mbappé scored?

Again courtesy of my colleague Will Gittins, you can read more about Mbappé's historic heroics here.

Magnificent Mbappé

It would be criminally remiss of me not to also doff my cap to two records broken by Kylian Mbappé yesterday.

With his double against the Senegalese, Mbappé overtook Olivier Giroud as the France men’s team’s highest ever goalscorer. He now has 58, to Giroud's 57.

And, as you can see in the all-timer ranking I posted just a moment ago, Mbappé now has 14 World Cup goals. That's also a French record: he has one more than Just Fontaine, who had been France’s leading scorer at the tournament since 1958.

World Cup 2026

Leo Messi scores stunning hat-trick to equal Miroslav Klose’s all-time World Cup scoring record

If you'd like to read more about Messi's magic display against Algeria, let me point you in the direction of this piece by my colleague Will Gittins.

What does the World Cup top scorers’ list look like now then?

Thanks to his maiden World Cup hat-trick, Messi has drawn level with Miroslav Klose's overall tournament haul of 16. That's a record that has stood since 2014.

Men's World Cup - all-time top scorers:

1. Miroslav Klose, Germany: 16
1. Lionel Messi, Argentina: 16
3. Ronaldo, Brazil: 15
4. Gerd Müller, West Germany: 14
4. Kylian Mbappé, France: 14

What happened yesterday? (ctd.)

Yesterday also saw Kylian Mbappé net a double as France began with a win: Les Bleus beat Senegal 3-1, turning it on after the break after a sluggish first half at MetLife Stadium.

And in between Mbappé and Messi's headline-grabbing contributions, a third World Cup A-lister also lit up Tuesday's play. On his World Cup debut, Erling Haaland hit a brace.as Norway beat Iraq 4-1 in Foxborough.

Elsewhere in Argentina’s group, meanwhile, Austria started with a 3-1 victory over World Cup debutants Jordan.
 

What happened yesterday at the World Cup?

Day six: well, that was all about the superstars.

Most notably, Lionel Messi plundered a hat-trick to give Argentina a 3-0 win over Algeria, as the Albiceleste kicked off its title defense with three points. That’s Messi’s first ever treble at a World Cup.

It was a three-goal haul that also saw the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner draw level with Germany’s Miroslav Klose as the leading scorer in men’s World Cup history.

Who else is in action today at the World Cup?

It's already day seven of the 2026 World Cup - and that means we’ve reached the final batch of matchday-one games.

After Portugal and DR Congo kick us off in Houston, Group L comes into play in Dallas, where England and Croatia meet at 4:00 p.m. ET.

Also in Group L, Ghana and Panama begin their World Cup campaigns in Toronto at 7:00 p.m. ET today.

Then it’s back to Group K: in Mexico City at 10:00 p.m. ET, Uzbekistan play their first ever men’s World Cup game, with Colombia the opposition.
 

What time is kickoff?

At NRG Stadium, the 72,000-capacity home of NFL team the Houston Texans, today's Group K clash kicks off in a little under two hours' time.

To be precise, the ball will get rolling at 1:00 p.m. ET/10:00 a.m. PT.

DR Congo end their 52-year World Cup wait

DR Congo are appearing at their first men's World Cup since 1974, when they weren't even known as DR Congo. In West Germany 52 years ago, the Léopards competed as Zaire.

Now, the Congolese are back - after eliminating some of Africa's biggest World Cup names during an arduous qualification campaign.

Portugal vs DR Congo: welcome!

Hello! Houston is the setting as Portugal, one of the pre-tournament favorites, begin the ninth men's World Cup campaign in their history.

Led by the Spaniard Roberto Martínez, the Portuguese are seeking a maiden global title to go with their sole European crown, won 10 years ago next month.

While the Seleção have become a veritable World Cup staple - this is their seventh straight tournament appearance - they’re facing a team that very much is not. Martínez's men open up Group K against the Democratic Republic of the Congo, who haven't been seen on soccer’s biggest stage for more than half a century.