Portugal launch their latest bid for World Cup success on Wednesday when they face the Democratic Republic of Congo in a Group K opener against a side returning to football’s biggest stage after a 52-year absence.
DR Congo last appeared at the World Cup in 1974, when the nation competed as Zaire and endured a difficult campaign, losing all three matches without scoring and conceding 14 goals. While expectations remain cautious, the African side arrive with greater experience and a more competitive modern squad.
Portugal, meanwhile, are once again built around Cristiano Ronaldo, now 41, as he pursues one of the few major honors missing from his decorated career. The European side were eliminated in the quarterfinals of the 2022 World Cup by Morocco and have never progressed beyond a third-place finish in 1966.
A strong start is seen as crucial in Group K, which also includes Colombia and Uzbekistan. Portugal have lost only two of their past 15 World Cup group-stage matches, although one of those defeats came against South Korea in 2022.
“We know the World Cup is a fast competition,” Portugal defender Matheus Nunes said. “There are only eight games, and when we play against all these national teams, I think they all have a lot of quality nowadays.
“We have to approach every game as if it were a final, because in theory there may be teams that look weaker, maybe on paper, but then on the field, it’s a match, and in a match anything can happen. Ninety minutes is a long time, and we have to be more than ready to win every game.”
Portugal trained with a slight concern after defender Rúben Dias worked separately from the squad on Monday for undisclosed reasons, though no official injury update was provided.
DR Congo, meanwhile, arrive under disrupted preparation conditions after an Ebola outbreak in their home country forced an extended pre-tournament stay in Belgium and Spain. Most of their squad is based in Europe, and players do not compete domestically in the DRC.
The team played friendlies against Denmark and Chile, drawing 0-0 and losing 2-1, but coach Sébastien Desabre said the squad had adapted well ahead of their opener.
“We adapted to the situation,” Desabre said. “We had to focus, as we have had to adapt often. That is what we did. We worked well, we played two tough friendlies and here we are. Now it is another step for us. It is up to us to put up a good showing in this tournament.”
DR Congo secured qualification through the intercontinental playoff, defeating Jamaica 1-0 after extra time.
