Portugal Prepares to Face DR Congo in World Cup Opener

Portugal is set to kick off its FIFA World Cup 2026 journey against DR Congo, a nation returning to the tournament after a lengthy 52-year hiatus. The match is scheduled for Wednesday, June 17, with kickoff at 6 PM BST at Houston Stadium in Texas.

The Portuguese squad faces a significant challenge as they will be without Manchester City defender Rúben Dias, who has not fully recovered from an injury sustained in a recent warm-up match. Sporting CP’s Gonçalo Inácio is expected to step in to partner with António Silva in central defense. However, there is good news for Portugal, as their veteran captain Cristiano Ronaldo, at 41 years old, is in excellent condition and will lead the attack for his sixth World Cup appearance. Manager Roberto Martínez has a wealth of attacking talent at his disposal, with winger Rafael Leão available to play despite a prior red card. The midfield trio of Bruno Fernandes, Vitinha, and João Neves is poised to control the game’s tempo.

On the other side, DR Congo faces its own roster challenges, losing defender Rocky Bushiri to an Achilles injury. In response, manager Sébastien Desabre has called up midfielder Aaron Tshibola to maintain squad depth. Despite these setbacks, the Leopards feature several players with Premier League experience, including star defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka and reliable Axel Tuanzebe, who are prepared to fortify the defense. Midfielders Noah Sadiki and Samuel Moutoussamy will work to disrupt the opposition's plays, while the attack will rely on the speed of Yoane Wissa and the experience of Cédric Bakambu, who will lead the frontline.

Portugal enters the tournament on a high note, having achieved a string of victories in their warm-up matches, including wins over Chile and Nigeria, both by 2-1 scores. The team has not lost in its last five international friendlies, showcasing impressive attacking prowess. Meanwhile, DR Congo's recent warm-up results have been a mixed bag, highlighted by a goalless draw against Denmark and a narrow loss to Chile. Nevertheless, they demonstrated their competitive spirit by defeating Nigeria in a penalty shootout and edging out Jamaica in extra time to secure their World Cup spot.

The anticipated starting lineups for the match are as follows: Portugal's likely formation includes D Costa; Cancelo, Dias, Inácio, Mendes; J Neves, Fernandes, Vitinha; Bernardo, Ronaldo, Neto. DR Congo is expected to field Mpasi; Wan-Bissaka, Kapuadi, Tuanzebe, Mbemba, Masuaku; Moutoussamy, Sadiki, Mukau; Wissa, Bakambu.

Fans in the UK can catch the match live on BBC One, offering an exciting opportunity to witness this historic clash.