Portugal and DR Congo Lineups: Ronaldo Starts His Sixth Consecutive World Cup

Portugal kicks off their 2026 World Cup campaign against DR Congo in a Group K clash held in Houston, Texas. Both teams are also joined by Colombia and Uzbekistan in the group.

Roberto Martinez's squad enters the match as overwhelming favorites, with Portugal widely expected to make a deep run in the tournament. All eyes will once again be on captain Cristiano Ronaldo, who is embarking on his record sixth World Cup. The Al-Nassr star aims to extend his own record and become the only player to score in six different World Cups. Portugal is in excellent form, having suffered only one loss in their last 13 matches (10 wins, 2 draws).

For DR Congo, simply participating in the World Cup finals is a massive opportunity to prove themselves on the biggest stage. The team returns to football's grandest stage for the first time in 52 years, having last appeared in 1974 under the name Zaire. Back then, they lost all three of their matches, conceding a staggering 14 goals without scoring any. The "Leopards" dramatically secured their World Cup spot with a last-gasp goal in the 100th minute of their playoff against Jamaica.

This will be the first-ever encounter between these two nations. Portugal's last World Cup campaign ended with a loss to an African opponent – Morocco (1-0), but the "Navigators" did secure a 2-1 victory against Nigeria in their final warm-up match last week.

Portugal coach Roberto Martinez has made several changes to the squad compared to the win over the "Super Eagles." Naturally, Cristiano Ronaldo leads the attack for Portugal, supported by Real Madrid's new signing Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes, and Pedro Neto. In midfield, the PSG duo of Vitinha and João Neves are once again starters. However, the entire defensive line has been revamped, featuring João Cancelo, Tomás Araújo, Renato Veiga, and Nuno Mendes, who will play in front of goalkeeper Diogo Costa. Defenders like Rúben Dias, Diogo Dalot, and Nélson Semedo are on the bench.

DR Congo starts with arguably their biggest stars in attack, namely Yoane Wissa and Cédric Bakambu. On the right side of defense, Aaron Wan-Bissaka will feature.