DR Congo open their World Cup campaign against Portugal after five-decade absence

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) will be in action for the first time in 52 years when they take on Portugal in Group K opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Wednesday, June 17, at NRG Stadium in Houston, USA.

DR Congo last participated in football’s biggest tournament in 1974 when the country was known as Zaire. Since then, all their qualification attempts had ended in disappointment until they finally secured a place in this year’s global showpiece.

Leopards coach Sébastien Desabre believes his team has what it takes to make a positive impression at the tournament, despite facing a strong Portuguese side in their opening match.

Desabre said the difficult circumstances under which his team prepared for the World Cup have made them stronger and more united. “Firstly, we were forced to undergo a mandatory 21-day quarantine following the Ebola outbreak back home, which heavily disrupted our preparations,” he said.

“Soon after the quarantine, we had to move our training camp from our country to Belgium, where we continued our preparations just a week and a half before the tournament.”

DR Congo, two-time Africa Cup of Nations champions (1968 and 1974), qualified for the World Cup through the intercontinental playoffs after defeating Jamaica 1-0 after extra time on March 31.

The Congolese side played two warm-up matches ahead of the tournament, drawing 0-0 with Denmark before defeating Chile 2-1. While Portugal are expected to provide a stern test, Desabre remains focused on delivering memorable performances for a nation that has waited more than five decades to see its team on the world’s biggest football stage.

“It has been a long time since our people saw the national team at the World Cup. Qualifying for the finals was already a great honour, but now it is up to us to put in good performances and make the country proud,” said Desabre.

Portugal, meanwhile, are expected to dominate possession through a world-class midfield and boast considerable attacking firepower led by veteran captain Cristiano Ronaldo, alongside Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva and Vitinha.

Known as the Seleção das Quinas (Team of the Shields), Portugal’s best World Cup finish remains third place, achieved in 1966. The European side is making its ninth World Cup appearance and has qualified for every tournament since 2002.

The clash promises to be an intriguing contest between a DR Congo side eager to make history, and a Portugal team seeking to begin their campaign on a winning note