Portugal opens its 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign against the Democratic Republic of Congo on June 17 at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.
Portugal shares Group K with Colombia and Uzbekistan. Captain Cristiano Ronaldo has made the team’s priorities clear: win the first two matches and lock down the top spot in the group.
The numbers from qualification back up Portugal’s confidence. The team netted 20 goals across six qualifying matches. Martinez used a recent friendly against Nigeria as preparation for the tournament’s opening stages.
For DR Congo, this is a squad playing on the sport’s biggest stage for the first time in over half a century. Their last World Cup appearance came under a different name, Zaire, in 1974 in West Germany.
The fan token angle
